Kate Middleton: Blake Lively and Owen Jones among celebrities apologising for conspiracy jokes

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Celebrities and public figures have expressed regret for taking part in the online show Where's Kate? Speculation following the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis.

In an emotional video released on Friday, Kate Middleton revealed that she underwent chemotherapy after major abdominal surgery led to a cancer diagnosis in January.

You can stay up to date with updates about Princess Kate here.

Kate Middleton was diagnosed with cancer

(PA cable)

While the princess had time to stay away from the public during her recovery, many people shared their thoughts and conspiracies about the reasons for her reluctance.

Following the update on Kate's health condition, several notable personalities have acknowledged their part in the comments surrounding her and issued public apologies.

Actor Blake Lively was one of the first to express his regret, referencing a now-deleted post that appeared to make fun of Kate posting an edited picture of her family for Mother's Day.

The Gossip Girl star wrote in an Instagram Story on Friday: “I'm sure no one cares today but I feel like I need to acknowledge this.

Blake Lively says she is “mortified” after mocking Kate's “disappearance” in a social media post

(Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)

“I wrote a silly post about the 'Photoshop Fails' frenzy and, oh man, that post put me to shame today. I'm sorry.”

Journalist and political activist Owen Jones also expressed regret for contributing to Kate's whereabouts.

After photo agencies recalled a photo of Kate and her three children after discovering it was doctored, Jones remarked on the “kill notice” with, “I'm so obsessed with this already omg!!”

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In another post, Jones expressed skepticism about a photo of Kate and Prince William together in a car. He wrote: “You have got to be kidding me. This is not a public appearance. Choo Choo! All aboard the Kate Middleton Truther Express!”

Journalist and activist Owen Jones has expressed regret for speculating about Kate's absence from public life

(PA)

However, the journalist has now said he is “ashamed” of the speculation and wishes Kate all the best.

“As someone who has speculated about this without considering that it could be a serious health condition, I am honestly very ashamed and wish her well,” Jones wrote in a post on X/Twitter.

Elsewhere, pressure is mounting on other public figures who have voiced their opinions and speculation about Kate's whereabouts to apologize.

On social media, fans are calling on broadcaster John Oliver to retract a joke made during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

“The chances that she died 18 months ago are non-zero,” Oliver quipped earlier this month. “You could be Weekend at Bernie's in this situation. I'm not saying it happened, but I'm saying it's non-zero until proven otherwise. Until we see her sitting there with a copy of the daily newspaper.”

Kate Middleton told the world about her cancer diagnosis

(` Studios/PA Wire)

Piers Morgan has slammed Oliver over his words and believes anyone who supports Kate's request for privacy but has previously speculated about her whereabouts are “shameless hypocrites”.

Some social media users have also reached out to Kim Kardashian to acknowledge the news of Kate's cancer diagnosis after she previously captioned a photo of herself next to a car, “On the way to find Kate.”