RALEIGH, USA — Crystal Mangum, the woman at the centre of the 2006 Duke University lacrosse scandal, has publicly admitted for the first time that her allegations of rape against three students of the institution were false.
Speaking from the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where she is serving a sentence for an unrelated second-degree murder conviction, Mangum offered a heartfelt apology during a podcast interview released on Monday, December 9, 2024.
“That night, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and Dave Evans, they took me into their home and they trusted,” Mangum said on the Let’s Talk With Kat podcast.
“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t. And that was wrong.”
Mangum, now 46, expressed remorse for the harm her accusations caused, describing her actions as a betrayal.
“I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me and made up a story that wasn’t true because I wanted validation from people and not from God,” she admitted.
“I hope they can forgive me. I hope they can heal and trust God and know that God loves them.”
The 2006 allegations ignited a national firestorm.
Mangum, then a 28-year-old student at North Carolina Central University and an exotic dancer, accused the three players of sexually assaulting her during a party where she had been hired to perform.
The case unravelled when DNA evidence failed to support her claims.
In 2007, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper dismissed all charges against the players, declaring them innocent.
Cooper declined to prosecute Mangum for perjury, stating investigators believed she “may have actually believed the many different stories that she has been telling.”
Impact on the Accused
The case had devastating consequences for Seligmann, Finnerty, and Evans, who faced public scrutiny, legal battles, and personal hardships despite being exonerated.
Mangum’s recent apology, while significant, leaves unanswered questions about the lasting impact of her allegations on their lives.
The Trent reached out to the three men for comment but has not received a response.
A Complex Legacy
Despite her apology, Mangum expressed no regrets about the broader trajectory of her life, suggesting that her experiences serve a higher purpose.
“Everything happens to get everybody to the point where they are,” she said.
“And it’s all to show God’s love and His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy.”
Mangum is currently serving time for the 2013 second-degree murder of her boyfriend, a separate incident that further complicated her public image.
Her admission comes nearly two decades after the scandal rocked Duke University, exposing systemic issues around race, privilege, and the presumption of innocence.
For many, Mangum’s apology may mark a step toward closure, though the scars of the case linger for those involved.
