YOU WONDER HOW THEY GET INTO THESE SCRAPES IN THE FIRST PLACE

We can't figure out how it is that a reliable part of the Murdoch empire could have found itself having to run a grovelling apology to Justin Timberlake, having been taken in by a "model" who made up the stories about being his lover in order to get cash from the paper. Still, we bet the paper will be taking much more care in future, and not, for example, ending the apology with an open-ended, desperate sounding plea for anyone to turn up with any story they like, and slapping a great banner advert on that virtually screams "Come on, we'll shower you in cash for even a semi-plausible story", won't they?



And, for those of you who collect these things, here's that apology in full:

Apology:

Justin Timberlake

ON 18 July 2004 we published a piece entitled "Bad news for Cameron as model reveals lover's secret fling".

The article alleged that Mr Timberlake had had a secret fling with model Lucy Clarkson behind the back of his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz.

Justin Timberlake insisted that he had never even met or spoken with Miss Clarkson and was deeply offended by the allegations.

We now accept that the allegations were untrue and that he had not had an affair or fling with Lucy Clarkson. Miss Clarkson, who sold her story, accepts that she lied to us and has never met or spoken to Justin Timberlake.

We are happy to correct the position and both we and Lucy Clarkson apologise to Justin Timberlake for the distress and embarrassment we caused him.

We and Ms Clarkson have agreed to pay him a substantial sum which he has said he will donate to a charity of his choice.

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