Celebrity News July 15, 2017
Ryan Lochte Cleared of Charges in Brazil — Will Prosecutors Appeal?
Like, wow, dude... lucky break!
Olympic gold medal winner Ryan Lochte has been cleared of criminal charges by an appellate court in Brazil, Us Weekly reports.
The athlete had been under fire after he "over-exaggerated" details of an alleged robbery that occurred during the 2016 games in Rio. The scandal tarnished Lochte's reputation and led to an apology and an admission that he had "had too much to drink." Lochte was suspended for 10 months by the U.S. Olympic Committee, beginning in September 2016.
The court decided Thursday that Lochte claiming in an interview that he and three other Olympic swimmers — Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen — had been robbed at gunpoint did not rise to the level of making a false report.
In a statement to Us, Lochte's attorney said, "We are pleased that the court has finally dismissed the criminal prosecution against Mr. Lochte, while also acknowledging that he committed no crime while in Brazil. We are hopeful that the prosecution accepts the court's decision so that this story can finally be put to rest."
Prosecutors now have 15 days in which they may challenge the ruling; otherwise, it will stand and the matter will be considered closed.
Since the scandal first broke, Lochte has completed a stint on "Dancing with the Stars" and welcomed son Caiden Zane with fiancée Kayla Rae Reid.