Katie Price has apologised after she posted false allegations on Twitter about a showbiz editor having HIV and another writer having “crabs”.
Price said she “accidentally” reposted messages which were sent to her by fans. She made the blunder yesterday, one day after World AIDS Day.
Her tweet said she should start claiming that News of the World showbusiness editor Dan Wootton had HIV and that the Daily Star’s Gemma Wheatley had “crabs”.
Price’s spokesman quickly said she had apologised to the pair: “Katie is well aware of the devastating impact that HIV has and would never seek to make light of or trivialise such a horrific disease.
“‘Katie immediately apologised to both Dan [Wootton] and Gemma [Wheatley] publicly on Twitter for her mistake and repeats that complete apology now.”
The former Page Three girl deleted the tweet yesterday and wrote: “Apoligies everyone especially (dan and gemma) that RTwas accidental. Be great if they’d admit when they get something wrong but wont happen! [sic].”
Lisa Power, of HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “Whether or not a person has HIV, it should never be used as a slur.
“People living with HIV have enough public prejudice to contend with, so it’s important that people who are role models try to improve this situation, not perpetuate it.”