As to answering if one asks him: "What did Ploni say about me?" this depends upon the following: If he can answer him in such a way that what he says will not be absolute falsehood nor rechiluth, let him answer him in this way and not utter falsehood. But if he understands that his friend will not take this for an answer, he is permitted to utter absolute falsehood for the sake of peace. But he may not swear falsely to this, G–d forbid (see Be'er Mayim Chayim).
וּלְעִנְיַן מַה לְּהָשִׁיב, אִם שׁוֹאֲלוֹ: מַּה דִּבֵּר פְּלוֹנִי אוֹדוֹתַי, תָּלוּי בָּזֶה, (יד) אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ עֵצָּה לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה שֶׁקֶר גָּמוּר וְגַם לֹא יִהְיֶה רְכִילוּת, יְשִׁיבֵהוּ בְּאֹפֶן זֶה, וְלֹא יוֹצִּיא שֶׁקֶר מִפִּיו. וְאִם הוּא מֵבִין, שֶׁחֲבֵרוֹ לֹא יְקַבֵּל זֶה לִתְשׁוּבָה, מֻתָּר לוֹמַר שֶׁקֶּר גָּמוּר מִפְּנִי הַשָּׁלוֹם, (טו) אֲבָל לֹא יִשָּׁבַע, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לַשֶּׁקֶר בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה, וְעַיֵּן בִּבְאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים.
As to answering if one asks him: "What did Ploni say about me?" this depends upon the following: If he can answer him in such a way that what he says will not be absolute falsehood nor rechiluth, let him answer him in this way and not utter falsehood. But if he understands that his friend will not take this for an answer, he is permitted to utter absolute falsehood for the sake of peace. But he may not swear falsely to this, G–d forbid (see Be'er Mayim Chayim).