I farted...should I issue a public apology to the newspapers...?

No, but that's because I'm not famous and no one would be interested. I guess celebrities do have to set an example. I just reckon we treat them like gods, instead of the ordinary people they actually are (although blessed with some particular talent...)
We ought to give them a break...Prince Harry and all the rest, and get a life.

clipped from sports.yahoo.com Olympic great Michael Phelps acknowledged “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment” after a photo in a British newspaper Sunday showed him inhaling from a marijuana pipe. In a statement to The Associated Press, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games did not dispute the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World. “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”