Ms Hamblin’s complaint related to three articles and a video published on and on 2 and 3 July 2020 and 14 June 2021, which reported on a US legal claim alleging abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The joint Statement in Open Court read before Mr Justice Nicklin in the High Court yesterday made it clear that Ms Hamblin had nothing to do with the events reported in the US legal claim. The allegations made against her were entirely untrue.
Ms Hamblin engaged in pre-action correspondence with The Sun; having reached no satisfactory resolution, she proceeded to issue proceedings against its publisher. In recognition of the falsity of the allegations, The Sun ultimately took the articles down and made an offer of amends to Ms Hamblin; a procedure whereby a newspaper admits liability and agrees to pay compensation. Pursuant to that offer of amends, and in settlement of both the libel and the data protection claim, The Sun has agreed to publish a report of the Statement in Open Court containing a correction and apology to Ms Hamblin, and to pay her substantial compensation, as well as her legal costs, in order to compensate her for the distress caused.
Ms Hamblin was represented by Nigel Tait and Mathilde Groppo of Carter-Ruck and Adam Speker QC and Victoria Jolliffe of 5RB.