Nearly two decades after a scandal that rocked Duke University, the woman at the center of the 2006 lacrosse case has admitted she made up the allegations that forever changed the lives of three young men. Crystal Mangum, 46, who accused Duke lacrosse players Dave Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann of rape, recently confessed in a podcast interview that her claims were false.
“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t,” Mangum told Katerena DePasquale on the Let’s Talk with Kat podcast. “That was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me.”
Mangum’s shocking accusations stemmed from a 2006 party where she had been hired as a dancer. Despite significant doubts about her credibility, District Attorney Mike Nifong pushed forward with the case, charging the three players with rape. The charges were eventually dropped, and Nifong was disbarred for his handling of the case. But the damage was already done.
Don Yaeger, co-author of It’s Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered, recently reflected on how deeply the false allegations affected the accused players. In an interview with PEOPLE, Yaeger recalled a particularly haunting conversation with Dave Evans, one of the falsely accused men.
“Dave told me, ‘It doesn’t matter what I accomplish in my life or how successful I am. When I die, my obituary will still say: Dave Evans, one of the three players accused of raping an adult dancer while at Duke playing lacrosse. That’s the penalty,’” Yaeger recounted.
Mangum’s false accusations didn’t just disrupt the lives of Evans, Finnerty, and Seligmann; they also ignited national outrage and left a scar on the Duke community. The case became a flashpoint for discussions about privilege, race, and the justice system.
Now, as Mangum publicly admits she lied, many—including Yaeger—wonder why it took her so long to come clean or offer a personal apology to the three men whose reputations were dragged through the mud.
“I’m all for people seeking redemption,” Yaeger said, “but if she realized the harm she caused, why didn’t she ever write them a note or try to make amends in all these years?”
Since the Duke case, Mangum has faced her own legal troubles. In 2013, she was convicted of murdering her boyfriend, Reginald Daye, and is currently serving a prison sentence. She is eligible for release in 2026.
While Mangum’s admission may bring some closure to this painful chapter, the scars left behind remain. For the three men she falsely accused, the ordeal continues to be a reminder of how a single lie can alter the course of a life forever.
