Sir Patrick Stewart has tied the knot with his girlfriend, jazz singer Sunny Ozell.
Patrick Stewart married his girlfriend, jazz singer Sunny Ozell in 2013. Reuters

Editors at the Guardian were forced to eat humble pie after mistakenly stating that Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart is gay.

Fans were left stunned when a story published on the Comment Is Free section of the newspaper's website referred to the 73-year-old Hollywood legend as homosexual.

"Some gay people, such as Sir Patrick Stewart, think Page's coming out speech is newsworthy because a high-profile and surprisingly politically aware young actress has decided not to play by the rules that so many closeted Hollywood actors are advised to follow if they are to enjoy mainstream success," journalist Jane Czyzselska wrote in an article about Ellen Page coming out.

The embarrassing gaffe soon caught the attention of a number of readers, who kindly pointed out that Stewart was happily married to third wife Sunny Ozell. He got hitched to the jazz singer in September 2013.

One commentator said: "Since when is Patrick Stewart gay? Has his wife been informed?"

However, Stewart, who has been long-time supporter of the LGBT community, simply made light of the incident.

The Guardian has since issued an apology for the blunder.

"This article was amended on 17 February 2014," a spokesperson said.

"The third paragraph originally said 'Some gay people, such as Sir Patrick Stewart, think Page's coming out speech is newsworthy'. This should have read 'Some people, such as Sir Patrick Stewart, think Page's coming out speech is newsworthy'."

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