TORONTO – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford stunning confession that he has smoked crack cocaine approximately one year ago garnered international press coverage Tuesday afternoon.
From U.S. based publications, to media organizations overseas, Ford’s confession was front and centre on the homepage of many websites.
READ MORE: Mayor Rob Ford admits to smoking crack cocaine
Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine approximately a year ago after being asked by Global News reporter Jackson Proskow if he has ever smoked the drug during a media scrum outside his office Tuesday afternoon.
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“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” he told Global News reporter Jackson Proskow outside of his office on Tuesday.
CNN’s homepage
BBC’s homepage
Buzzfeed’s homepage
Sky News
New York Magazine
New York Magazine also had an article titled “20 Things Worth Knowing About Toronto’s Crack-Smoking Mayor, Rob Ford” under its”Most Popular” section.
ABC
Allegations of crack cocaine use have dogged the mayor since May, when Gawker and the Toronto Star reported on a video showing mayor smoking what looked be crack cocaine.
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The issue made headlines again last week when Police Chief Bill Blair acknowledged that he had seen the alleged video.
Until Tuesday the mayor had refused to address crack use or the video, saying he can’t comment on a video he has not seen.
RELATED: Here’s everything Mayor Rob Ford has said about crack video allegations
“I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine,” Ford said in a statement in May – the closest he had come to addressing the issue.
It isn’t clear why he decided to speak to reporters about this Tuesday – or why he appeared to prompt them to ask him.
– With files from James Armstrong
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