(Getty Images)
Ryan Lochte apologized on Friday for lying about being robbed at gunpoint a gas station in Rio. See the Olympic athlete’s statement below.
As Gossip Cop reported, Lochte and three other Olympic swimmers claimed they were held up at a gas station by men posing as police officers, one of whom supposedly held a gun to Lochte’s head. However, Brazilian officials later insisted they found no evidence of such a crime having taken place, and surveillance footage from the gas station refuted Lochte’s and his teammates story. It was later revealed that the men had actually gotten into a drunken altercation with a gas station attendant after vandalizing a bathroom. The gas station attendant did in fact point a gun at the men and demand they pay him for the damages.
However, Lochte told his made-up version of the story to the U.S. Olympic Committee, and in subsequent television interviews, but suspection arose when his account of events began changing. On Friday, the swimmer released a statement expressing remorse for his actions. “I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend,” Lochte began in an Instagram post. “It’s traumatic be out late with your friends in a foreign country – with a language barrier- and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave, but regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that [I] am sorry to my teammates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors, and the hosts of this great event.”
Lochte further expressed, “I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided. I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons.” See the full apology statement below.
(Ryan Lochte/Instagram)
