Newspaper removes interview with Bill de Blasio after former NYC mayor says the quotes were 'fabricated'

Source: NBC News

Oct. 29, 2025, 1:23 PM EDT


A British newspaper has removed an article that included quotes attributed to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio criticizing Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani after de Blasio said the quotes were fabricated. "The story in the Times of London is entirely false and fabricated," de Blasio said in posts on X after the paper published the story Tuesday, one week before Election Day in the New York City mayor's race.

"I never spoke to that reporter and never said those things. Those quotes aren't mine" and "don't reflect my views," the former mayor wrote. "It is an absolute violation of journalistic ethics. The truth is I fully support @ZohranKMamdani and believe his vision is both necessary and achievable," he added.

The paper said in a statement to The New York Times that it had apologized to de Blasio and “removed the article immediately after discovering that our reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor.” NBC News has not obtained the statement.

It’s unclear how the interview was conducted. The Times and News Corp. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/newspaper-removes-interview-bill-de-blasio-former-nyc-mayor-says-quote-rcna240526