Crystal Magnum Admits She Lied About 2006 Rape Allegations Against 3 Duke Lacrosse Players

Source: CNN screenshot / CNN screenshot

Crystal Magnum, the woman who falsely accused three white Duke University lacrosse players of raping her at a party in 2006, has admitted to lying about the high-profile case. During a November interview with Katerena DePasquale on her web series, Let’s Talk with Kat, Magnum revealed that she “made up” the story as she sought “validation from people and not from God.”

“They were my brothers and they trusted me that I wouldn’t betray their trust,” Magnum said at the 9:30 minute mark of the emotional interview, which was filmed on Nov. 13. 

While speaking with DePasquale from the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where she is serving time for a 2013 second-degree murder conviction for fatally stabbing her boyfriend, Magnum admitted to “testifying falsely” against David Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann. She acknowledged that she knew it was “wrong” at the time.

Magnum, a former psychology major, had shifted her focus from academics to exotic dancing. She met Evans, Finnerty, and Seligmann during a party where she was hired to perform, according to the Associated Press. The three lacrosse players were later arrested based on her allegations of sexual assault at the event.

Magnum shared that she was initially drawn to the exotic dance industry because of the attention and validation it provided her. However, since her incarceration, she has turned to God, finding a new sense of direction and purpose.

“I was searching for validation. I was looking for love and acceptance…People to love me, to accept me, to pay attention to me,” she said. “But you can get all of that from Jesus…. That’s what I’ve learned in prison.” 

Magnum asked for forgiveness.

According to the Associated Press, Magnum could be released from prison in 2026. Now that she has found clarity with her decision, she hopes Evans, Finnerty, and Seligmann forgive her for her mistake.

“I want them to know that I love them, and they didn’t deserve that, and I hope that they can forgive me,” she added during her interview with DePasquale. 

According to CNN, Magnum’s allegations led to the cancellation of the Duke lacrosse team’s 2006 season and resulted in the firing of head coach Mike Pressler. Additionally, the district attorney involved in the case was convicted of criminal contempt and disbarred.

In April 2007, Roy Cooper, the state’s Attorney General at the time (and now governor), reviewed the case and cleared the three men, stating that the charges should never have been filed after finding inconsistencies in Magnum’s testimony. Following the dismissal of the charges, Duke University and the players reached a confidential settlement. In 2014, the city of Durham settled a lawsuit with the three men, agreeing to pay $50,000 to the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission as part of the agreement.

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