Three UK news outlets falsely claimed Kate Moss left photographer Mario Testino’s birthday party in an ambulance, the Press Gazette reported.
The Mail on Sunday, the Sun and UK magazine Grazia all apologized this past week after Moss’s lawyers got involved, the Press Gazette reported.The Independent Press Standards Organisation told iMediaEthics “this happened without our involvement.”
The Mail’s April 5 correction for its March 8 story read:
“An article on March 8 said an ambulance was called when Kate Moss became ill at a late-night party at the Chiltern Firehouse hotel in London last October. We now accept that this incident did not occur and that no ambulance was called for her. We apologise to Miss Moss for any offence caused.”
According to the website Press Reader, which re-published brief clips from the Mail on Sunday‘s March 8 issue, the article was originally titled, “Riddle of Kate Moss’ wild night at London nightspot that ended in private ambulance.” It was by Charlotte Griffiths.
iMediaEthics couldn’t find the Sun‘s correction via Google. The Sun provided iMediaEthics with an image of its April 4 correction in print.
Grazia ran a print apology according to Press Gazette. iMediaEthics didn’t see any online apology, but we’ve asked Grazia.
The print apology states:
“We wrongly suggested that an ambulance had been called to attend her at Mario Testino’s 60th birthday party at the Chiltern Firehouse in October 2014 and that she had suffered a health scare that night.
”We now accept that this incident did not occur and that no ambulance was called for her. The party was not evacuated on her behalf and there is no current cause for concern as to her health.
“We apologise also for implying that the story featured on a gossip website was a reference to Kate, and for implying that there was a ‘cover up’.
“We have told Kate that the story was written in good faith and we apologise to her for any offence caused.”
iMediaEthics has asked Moss’s lawyers for comment.