Former Coronation Street actor Qasim Akhtar has won a libel settlement against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun, over false allegations linking him to extremism.
The Manchester-born actor secured substantial damages in the High Court on July 23, 2026, after the tabloid published an article in November falsely claiming he had backed an Islamic cleric, moved to Pakistan, and undertaken firearms training.
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Publisher Admits Falsehood
News Group Newspapers offered an unreserved apology in court, acknowledging the story was false and undertaking never to repeat the allegations.
Andrew Wheelhouse, representing the publisher, said: "The defendant acknowledges that the article should never have been published and has undertaken never to repeat the allegations."
Daniel Taylor, Akhtar's lawyer, detailed the severe impact on the actor's personal and professional life.
He noted that the defamatory claims forced Akhtar to put his business opportunities on hold while the legal matter was resolved.
Taylor also highlighted that the publisher failed to seek a response from the actor before printing the allegations.
"The libel was compounded by the fact that the defendant has acknowledged that it failed to obtain Mr Akhtar's response to these very serious allegations prior to publication," he said.
Actor Speaks Out
Although Akhtar did not attend the court proceedings, he previously addressed the situation on social media, expressing the severe emotional strain caused by the publication.
"An article was published about me with false allegations that deeply affected me, my reputation, my family, my safety and my peace of mind," Akhtar said.
