ASHLEY OLSEN - ENQUIRER PRINTS ASHLEY OLSEN STATEMENT

LATEST: The editors of American tabloid NATIONAL ENQUIRER have printed a near-full page letter from ASHLEY OLSEN's lawyer as they fight a defamation suit filed by the actress.

Olsen's attorney STANTON L STEIN sent the letter, demanding a "full and complete retraction in substantially as conspicuous a manner" as an article, which ran in the publication last month (FEB05) suggesting Olsen had links to the drug world.

The teen actress is seeking multi-million dollar damages after claiming the article and accompanying photograph, which made her look like she was under the influence of drugs, was defamation of character.

Despite insisting they would stand by the article, Enquirer bosses have begrudgingly run Stein's letter in its entirety, stating, "In the interest of fairness we thought we'd give Ashley and her lawyer this chance to respond to our article."

In the letter, Stein makes it clear that he feels Olsen's name and image was only used to sell magazines - and the story, with the headline `Ashley Olsen Caught In Drug Scandal' was misleading to her fans.

Stein writes, "Nowhere does this Article even suggest that Ms Olsen has had any connection with illegal drugs, or their use or sale - because she clearly has not."