Ryan Lochte not only won gold in Rio but also the hearts of Americans alike, with his charming smile and chiseled physique. But recently, he’s received major backlash for filing a false police report, and not even his good looks can get him out of this one.
The Olympian appeared on news channels on Sunday August 14th, claiming that him and his teammates were held at gunpoint at a gas station in Brazil. According to Lochte, the swimmers were in a taxi when a few guys with police badges and handguns approached them. Immediately the unknown men demanded that Lochte and his teammates get on the ground and give them their money. The athletes did as they were told and came out of the situation unscathed.
Naturally, Brazilian police followed up the claim, investigating the events of that night, and their version of the story differed significantly from the song Lochte had sung on American news channels. As it turns out, Lochte and teammates had vandalized the bathroom door belonging to the gas station they were “held up” at.
This destructive behavior caused nearby police officers to draw their weapons on the athletes in an attempt to control the situation. The officers claimed that the swimmers were acting in a violent way, and so to prevent any further damage, their weapons were taken out. The money “stolen” from the athletes that night was actually willingly given to repay the damage they had caused on the bathroom door.
This ordeal quickly overshadowed fellow American Olympians’ and well as Lochte’s accomplishments during the games, as this stunt caused major media attention. Lochte did, however, issue an apology, saying that he was sorry for not being “careful” or “candid” about his retelling of the situation.
So, far Lochte has been dropped by his major endorsements, including: Speedo and Ralph Lauren. As of right now, Lochte plans on taking a hiatus from swimming now that the Rio Olympic games have concluded, which may just be the smartest decision he has made throughout this entire debacle. Before this ordeal, Lochte had already agreed to be on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. Let’s just hope his dance moves are better than his stories.
