Can I be liable if I accidentally confirm a rumour that my business is for sale?

Generally, no — confirming something true about your own business, even inadvertently, isn't itself a legal wrong, since you're not disclosing anyone else's confidential information; it's your own decision to sell. The main way this could create actual legal exposure is if you were separately bound by an obligation not to disclose it to whoever you told — for example, a confidentiality commitment to a franchisor, a joint venture partner, or a lender under a loan covenant that requires notice before a change in ownership discussions.

Outside a situation like that, the concern is practical rather than legal: an accidental confirmation can accelerate exactly the disruption — anxious employees, customers questioning the relationship, competitors sensing opportunity — that staged, controlled disclosure was meant to prevent. If it happens, focus on getting ahead of the reaction with clear, deliberate communication rather than worrying primarily about liability that likely doesn't exist. If you're specifically bound by an obligation to a third party like a franchisor or lender, a Treadstone business lawyer can help you assess whether that specific commitment was actually breached.