Susan Hamblin’s lawsuit against The Sun ended in May 2022 with the newspaper apologizing in open court, removing the offending articles, and paying her substantial damages after it had falsely accused her of helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse a 16-year-old girl. A joint statement read before Mr. Justice Nicklin at the High Court on 4 May 2022 confirmed the allegations were untrue and that Hamblin had never even met the young woman named in the underlying US claim.1Carter-Ruck. The Sun Apologises to Susan Hamblin Over Serious Libels
What The Sun Published
Between July 2020 and June 2021, The Sun ran three articles and a video on its UK and US websites reporting on a US legal claim that alleged abuse by Epstein. The pieces, dated 2 July 2020, 3 July 2020, and 14 June 2021, named Hamblin as a participant in the events described.1Carter-Ruck. The Sun Apologises to Susan Hamblin Over Serious Libels
The accusations were grave. According to the statement later read in open court, the articles claimed Hamblin had groomed and procured a 16-year-old girl for Epstein, threatened the teenager by saying Epstein would kill her and her family if she disclosed the abuse, ignored the girl’s cries for help during a rape, and paid the girl $500 afterward. The articles further alleged that Hamblin bore responsibility for the young woman’s subsequent distress, suicidal feelings, and self-harm.2The Sun. Susan Hamblin
None of it was true. The court confirmed Hamblin had never met the young woman in question.3Carter-Ruck. Statement in Open Court, Hamblin v News Group Newspapers
The Claim She Brought
Hamblin sued News Group Newspapers Limited, the publisher of The Sun, in the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division, Media and Communications List, under case number QB-2021-002952. The claim combined defamation (libel) with a breach of data protection law.3Carter-Ruck. Statement in Open Court, Hamblin v News Group Newspapers She was represented by Carter-Ruck alongside barristers from 5RB chambers.4Chambers and Partners. The Sun Apologises to Susan Hamblin Over Serious Libels
The data protection element reflected a growing pattern in English media litigation. When a newspaper publishes false information about an identifiable person, the affected individual can argue the publisher processed inaccurate personal data in breach of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, which require personal data to be accurate and processed fairly. That claim can run alongside a libel claim because it protects a separate legal interest.5Taylor Wessing. Data Protection Claims in Media Law Cases – Where Are We Now
How the Case Was Settled
Rather than defend the allegations at trial, News Group Newspapers made an offer of amends, a statutory procedure under the Defamation Act 1996 that allows a publisher to admit liability and resolve a defamation claim without a full trial. Making the offer effectively concedes the material was defamatory and untrue, and opens a path to agreed compensation.6UK Parliament. Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Press Standards, Privacy and Libel
The settlement resolved both the libel and the data protection claims. The Sun agreed to remove all three articles and the video from its UK and US websites, publish formal apologies on both platforms, and pay Hamblin substantial compensation together with her legal costs.7The Sun (US). Susan Hamblin The exact sum was not disclosed.
The Apology in Open Court
On 4 May 2022, a joint statement was read before Mr. Justice Nicklin. It confirmed the allegations were false, that Hamblin had never met the young woman named in the US claim, and that she had no involvement in the events described. The statement identified her as an interior designer and recorded that News Group Newspapers accepted the allegations were false and apologized for the distress caused. Through her lawyers, Hamblin said she was “content to let the matter rest.”3Carter-Ruck. Statement in Open Court, Hamblin v News Group Newspapers
A Note on Name Confusion
The case drew fresh attention after later Epstein-related documents were released and a “Susan Hamblin” appeared in connection with an email to Epstein containing the phrase “your littlest girl was naughty.” Coverage has conflated different people who share the name, including a financial advisor referenced in the documents and a Washington state woman who founded an adoption agency called Kids2Family. Reporting has acknowledged that whether the sender of the email is the same person as the adoption agency founder cannot be independently confirmed, and no public findings of wrongdoing exist against the Washington-based Susan Hamblin.8The News International. Susan Hamblin Draws Renewed Scrutiny After ‘Your Littlest Girl’ Email Surfaces The Susan Hamblin who sued The Sun is the British interior designer whom the court found had no connection to Epstein or to the young woman in the US claim.