Deadline apologises for falsely reporting cancelled meeting between Sean Penn and Isis leader

They based their story on a New Yorker satirical in response to Penn's interview with Mexican drug Lord 'El Chapo'

Tuesday 12 January 2016 13:37 EST

It recently emerged Penn conducted an interview with drug cartel leader 'El Chapo' (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

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Deadline has apologised after falsely reporting that a scheduled meeting between Sean Penn and the leader of Isis, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was cancelled.

The entertainment news website published a retraction on Sunday evening after their weekend editor “misinterpreted a humorous story” from the New Yorker, apologising directly to Penn.

The retraction says: “A Deadline weekend editor misinterpreted a humorous story posted on The New Yorker website today and filed as a Deadline news story as a supposed cancelled meeting between the head of Isis and Sean Penn.

“The story, which was quickly stricken from the site, has no basis in truth and is a regrettable error. Deadline Hollywood apologises to Mr Penn.”

The article in question which Deadline referenced was a satirical piece by Andy Borowitz headlined: “Isis Chief Abruptly Cancels Meeting With Sean Penn.”

The article, which remains on The New Yorker, was no doubt a quirky response to the actually real story of Penn’s interview with Mexican drug cartel leader ‘El Chapo’ which was conducted while the fugitive was on the run.

The article signed off with a supposed quote from Isis which said despite the “cancelled meeting” al-Baghdadi is an “enormous fan” of the actor and loves all of his films “even that one he did with Madonna”.

Following the arrest of the notorious boss of the Sinaloa drug cartel, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, Rolling Stone published the interview which reportedly was conducted over a seven-hour time frame.

Throughout the interview the pair discussed the war on drugs where Guzman said: “If there was no consumption, there would be no sales. It is true that consumption day after day, becomes bigger and bigger. So it sells and sells.”

Guzman broke out of jail in Mexico in July, 2015 through a mile-long tunnel which led to a nearby construction site.

He was tracked down and, following a shootout which killed five suspected gang members, was re-arrested in north-west Mexico on Friday.

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Deadline apologises for falsely reporting cancelled meeting between Sean Penn and Isis leader

They based their story on a New Yorker satirical in response to Penn's interview with Mexican drug Lord 'El Chapo'

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