Crystal Mangum opens up about her false accusations against Duke University students in a candid podcast interview
Warning: This article discusses topics related to sexual assault, which some readers may find upsetting.
A woman, now serving a prison sentence for the murder of her boyfriend, has shared the reasons behind her decision to falsely accuse three Duke University students of rape back in 2006.
Crystal Mangum, who resides in Durham, North Carolina, made this public confession during an interview on the “Let’s Talk with Kat” podcast, which was conducted while she was incarcerated.
This revelation comes almost two decades after the initial allegations surfaced, and over ten years since Mangum was sentenced to up to 18 years in prison for the 2011 murder of Reginald Daye, who was 46 at the time.
Speaking about the students, Mangum said: “‘I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t and that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me.”
Her accusations originated after she performed as a stripper at an off-campus gathering hosted by members of Duke University’s lacrosse team.
Crystal Magnum is currently behind bars in North Carolina
Following the party, Mangum accused Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans of raping her in a bathroom during the event.
Reacting to his indictment, Evans remarked: “You have all been told some fantastic lies, and I look forward to watching them unravel in the weeks to come, as they already have in weeks past…. The truth will come out.”
At the time, Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong aggressively pursued charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping, and sexual assault against the three players.
Crystal Magnum admitted for the first time publicly that she’d lied
However, the case unraveled when discrepancies began to appear between Mangum’s accounts and the actual evidence, prompting North Carolina’s attorney general to dismiss the charges.
DNA tests did not link any of the 46 lacrosse players to the alleged crime.
In light of this, Attorney General Roy Cooper declared that there was no reliable evidence against the accused, formally pronouncing them innocent.
Now, Mangum has shared why she fabricated the events of that day in 2006.
During the podcast, she admitted that she created the story because she “wanted validation from people and not from God.”
Mangum expressed her desire for forgiveness from Seligmann, Finnerty, and Evans, stating that they “didn’t deserve” what she put them through.
She added: “I hope that [the players] can heal and trust God and know that God loves them and that God is loving them through me, letting them know that they’re valuable and they didn’t deserve that,”
After the charges against the three students were dropped, they each received $20 million as part of a settlement.
Despite her false claims, Mangum was never prosecuted for making the accusations.
