Update: The Sun has issued the following statement:
The Sun strongly denies any suggestion it solicited or knowingly published a false story regarding Kerry Campbell and her daughter. The article was published in good faith, in common with a large number of other news organisations around the world, after being received in full from a reputable UK news agency. The Agency reporter watched Ms Campbell administering what appeared to be Botox to her daughter and provided compelling photographs. At no point did The Sun have any direct contact with Kerry Campbell or Sheena Upton. The Sun is investigating the circumstances surrounding this story and consulting with lawyers on possible legal action.
Previously: File under: Balloon Boy. It looks like "Botox Mom" was just a hoax.
On Thursday, TMZ.com obtained a sworn deposition written by Kerry Campbell, whose real name is supposedly Sheena Upton, reading in part:
I Sheena Upton, was solicited by a company in the United Kingdom, to play the role of Kerry Campbell in the United Kingdom newspaper, The Sun. The Sun's story was called "I give my 8 year old daughter Botox". I was provided with the story, instructions and a script to follow for a recorded interview for paid fee. I received $200 for that story.
[...]
The truth is that I have never given my daughter Botox, nor allowed her to get any type of waxing, nor is she a beauty pageant contestant. Yesterday, on May 17, 2011, I went with my daughter to the U.C.L.A. Medical Center....After my daughter received a full medical exam, the results indicated that she has not ever received treatments including Botox or other such injections.
Upton adds that both "Good Morning America" and "Inside Edition" offered her sizeable sums to give interviews.
ABC News released the following statement:
We have just seen the sworn declaration on TMZ written by Sheena Upton, a.k.a. Kerry Campbell, and are vigorously investigating her most recent statement and rapidly shifting story. Good Morning America has repeatedly questioned Upton, members of her family, and other sources who again and again stood by the Botox story. Good Morning America is solely interested in getting to the truth and will share with our audience any new information that we find.
On Wednesday, Campbell (or now, Upton) supposedly apologized for using the substance on her eight-year-old daughter Britney, telling The Sun through a close relative, "I cannot put into words the remorse I feel. I am going to seek therapy for my obsession with looks so I will no longer push my insecurities about appearance on to her....I honestly felt I was helping her."
The same day, an anonymous insider told RadarOnline.com that "Kerry" was "making the entire thing up for publicity," and two days earlier, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the city's Human Services had completed its investigation and was no longer involved in the case. All along, beauty blog BellaSugar doubted the tale, pointing out that no Kerry Campbell lived in the bay area.
If Upton's admission is true, this might not be the first time that The Sun has concocted such a story. Jezebel reports that two months after the Campbells' article ran, the British tabloid published another piece titled, "I inject my 7-year-old girl with Botox, fill her lips and I have tattooed her eyebrows," along with photos and quotes like, "I know people will be outraged but I don't care. This is my daughter and I have to ensure she's a star."
And now you know how The Sun (allegedly) works.