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Ryan Lochte Loses Endorsements, Despite Some White People’s Attempt to Soften the Blow

Ryan Lochte (NBC)

Ryan Lochte (NBC)

Embattled Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is experiencing the fallout after videos exposed his lie about an altercation in Brazil. Now, the 32-year-old has lost two of his endorsements.

Speedo announced Monday morning it would end Lochte’s more than a decade-long sponsorship with the company.

“We cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for,” the brand said in a statement. “We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience.”

Ralph Lauren followed that afternoon.

“Ralph Lauren’s endorsement agreement with Ryan Lochte was specifically in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and the company will not be renewing his contract,” Ryan J. Lally, the company’s vice president of global corporate communications, said in a statement to ABC News.

According to Atlanta Black Star, videos surfaced disproving his story of a gunpoint robbery in Brazil. Lochte initially said men posing as police officers stopped him and his American teammates – Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen. He claimed a gun was held to his head. His story changed when he said the group went to a gas station and a security guard pointed a gun at him but did not place it against his head.

But according to Sports Illustrated, the gas station’s owner revealed the U.S. swimmers vandalized the store and urinated on it.

As Lochte skipped town and headed back to the States, authorities removed Bentz and Conger from their flight and briefly detained them in Rio De Janeiro. They ordered Feigen to remain in the country.

On the “Today Show,” Al Roker hotly debated co-anchor Billy Bush. Bush said Lochte “embellished” his story as Roker vehemently said otherwise.

https://twitter.com/DylansFreshTake/status/767104468508745728

“He lied. He lied to you. He lied to Matt Lauer,” the weatherman explained. “He lied to his mom. He left his teammates hanging while he skedaddled.”

Lochte held an interview with NBC News over the weekend and apologized for his “overexaggerated” story.

“I have no idea,” he said of why he lied. “I mean, I was very intoxicated. It was immature. It was childish. I take full responsibility for everything.”

Update: Lochte lost two more sponsors today, according to The Washington Post.

The swimmer lost endorsements from and Gentle Hair Removal and Japanese mattress company Airweave.

“We hold our employees to high standards,” Gentle Hair Removal’s parent company Syneron-Candela said in a statement. “And we expect the same in our business partners.”

Airweave, which initially said it would stand by Lochte, followed suit.

“After careful consideration, we have made the decision to end our partnership with Ryan Lochte,” the official statement read in part.

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