Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players admits to lying in podcast interview

Crystal Mangum, who falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape in 2006, publicly admitted she lied about the incident. In a podcast interview, she stated she fabricated the story for validation and acknowledged her wrongdoing. The players were declared innocent in 2007 after the case fell apart. An investigation found no evidence to support Mangum's claims, and the prosecutor involved was disbarred for misconduct. Mangum is currently incarcerated for a separate crime. Mangum expressed a desire for forgiveness from the accused players, stating they did not deserve what happened to them. She is eligible for release from prison as early as 2026.