Toronto 's mayor has purportedly been filmed on cellphone video smoking crack cocaine , the Toronto Star reported . The footage appears to show Rob Ford `` sitting in a chair , wearing a white shirt , top buttons open , inhaling from what appears to be a glass crack pipe , '' the newspaper says . Two of the newspaper 's reporters were shown the footage May 3 by someone who claims to have supplied the crack and shot the video . This person told the Star that they have previously given the mayor crack . The reporters watched the video three times . The newspaper reports that the 90-second video allegedly shot last winter shows Ford `` incoherent , trading jibes with an off-camera speaker who goads the clearly impaired mayor by raising topics including Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and the high school football team Ford coaches . '' `` I 'm f -- -ing right wing , '' Ford seems to mutter , the report says . `` Everyone expects me to be right wing . I 'm just supposed to be this great ... `` The newspaper says that the mayor appears to refer to the players on the football team as `` just f -- -ing minorities . '' The Star claims the video ends when the smartphone rings and the mayor says , `` That phone better not be on . '' Read the Star 's story about the cellphone video . The video is being shopped around by a group of men involved in the drug trade , the Star reported Thursday . The newspaper says that it has no way to verify the authenticity of the tape , and reports that its attempts to get comment from the mayor or his staff Thursday about the video were unsuccessful . Thursday night , Ford 's chief of staff , Mark Towhey , would not listen to questions by the Star and hung up on a reporter , the newspaper reports . CNN can not confirm the video 's authenticity . Ford spoke Friday morning to reporters , but did not answer questions . He denied allegations , calling them `` ridiculous '' and `` not true . '' CNN has calls into the mayor and the mayor 's lawyer , Dennis Morris . Also Thursday , the news site Gawker also ran a story about the video . A Gawker journalist says he was contacted by a tipster who described the tape , and the Gawker reporter flew to Canada to see the video in person . The journalist met with two men , one of whom showed the video -- still on the phone -- to the journalist , and then demanded money for the tape . The Gawker reporter did not pay for it and the man with the phone took off . Morris called Gawker 's report `` false and defamatory , '' the Star reported . Morris told the Star that it 's impossible to know from watching a video what a person is actually smoking or drinking . By Friday morning , reporters swarmed Toronto 's City Hall hoping to interview the mayor , but instead interviewed deputy mayor Doug Holyday about the allegations . Holyday , the mayor 's closest political ally , said he had not heard from the mayor Friday and did n't know where he was . A reporter asked Holyday whether he believes the allegations are false . `` I hope so , '' he replied . The mayor should address the accusations `` sooner than later , '' he said . `` I would advise the mayor to speak to the media but I think he has to do it in a prepared way . '' Another reporter asked whether the scandal makes it possible Ford to continue to govern . Holyday said he still has confidence in Ford , but said that he is willing to step up and replace the mayor if that becomes necessary . Regardless , the scandal is hurting the city 's reputation as the Star and Gawker 's coverage is reposted around the world , the deputy mayor said . `` Whether you can blame the mayor or not blame the mayor depends on whether the story is true , '' Holyday said . `` I do n't know that and I do n't know that any of you do . '' He added : `` Certainly we all know that videos can be altered and we certainly know that drug dealers ca n't be trusted . '' Read the Star 's coverage of Holyday 's reaction . CNN has been trying to interview the mayor for several months regarding the recommendation that Toronto create supervised injection centers for drug addicts . The mayor has declined all of CNN 's requests .
Toronto Star , Gawker : Toronto mayor seen in video appearing to smoke from crack cocaine . Message sent to him by someone claiming they gave Rob Ford the drugs . Ford calls allegations ` ` ridiculous '' and ` ` untrue ''