RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Crystal Mangum, the woman who infamously accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape in 2006, has publicly admitted for the first time that her allegations were fabricated. This case, which gained national attention, highlighted deep societal issues surrounding race, class, and the privileges often afforded to college athletes.
In an interview featured on the podcast “Let’s Talk with Kat,” Mangum, who is Black, revealed, “I made up a story that wasn’t true” regarding the white players who attended a party where she worked as a stripper. She confessed that her motivation was a desire for validation from others rather than from a higher moral authority. “I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t, and that was wrong,” she stated during the conversation, which was recorded last month while she is incarcerated at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in 2011.
The fallout from her accusations was significant. Following a thorough investigation, the former Duke players were exonerated in 2007 when Mangum’s claims unraveled under scrutiny. The North Carolina Attorney General’s office found no credible evidence to support her allegations, and no DNA, witness testimony, or other corroborative evidence was discovered. The prosecutor who had backed Mangum’s case was disbarred for unethical behavior, yet prosecutors chose not to file charges against Mangum for her false claims.
During the podcast interview, Mangum expressed her hope that the three men she wrongfully accused might one day forgive her. “I want them to know that I love them and they didn’t deserve that,” she stated, reflecting on the harm her actions caused. The Durham-based podcaster, Kat DePasquale, mentioned that she reached out to Mangum out of curiosity about the widely publicized case, and Mangum responded expressing her willingness to share her story.
