Michael Phelps is sighted leaving a restaurant on January 4, 2009 in Miami Beach, Florida.Us Magazine
"I knew that I'd made a mistake and a bad judgment," the 14-time gold medalist tells Matt Lauer in an interview that will air on Friday's Today Show and Sunday's Dateline.
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The swimmer says he found out the photos existed "probably one or two days" before they were published when somebody e-mailed him about them.
"And I had no idea really what to do. You know, I knew that I'd made a mistake and made a bad judgment," he says. "And it was an awful judgment. The people I hurt, you know, is my family, clearly. My friends. The close people around me. And most importantly, the fans. And-- and, you know, I realize that that hurt a lot of people."
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Phelps was suspended from swimming for three months, dropped by Kelloggs and investigated by a South Carolina Sheriff's department after the photos -- taken at a college party last November -- were published in Britain's News of the World.
Phelps insisted he was more focused on fixing family relationships than losing sponsorship deals.
"It's not about money to me. So, you know, the contract side of things, yeah, I was disappointed," he says. "But, you know, I think the biggest thing is who I hurt the most. Like, if I lost money, okay. It's not an issue with me."
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Phelps said there were only "six or seven people probably total in the whole house" during the party, and just "two or three...I didn't know."
"I mean, we were just celebrating," he says. "It was a very small group...nothing major. You know, not like a giant college house party. It was nothing like that. It was just a small group and we were just sitting around and celebrating."
When Lauer asks if he was smoking pot, Phelps doesn't deny it.
"It was a bad mistake. I mean, we all know, you know, what you and I are talking about. It's a stupid mistake," he said. "You know, bad judgment. And it's something that, you know, I have to, and I want to teach other people not to make that mistake."
Phelps says he's learned not to be as trustworthy.
"It's funny at times...take a picture with a cell phone," he says. "I'll say that there are a lot of people out there who want to take advantage of any situation they have. I trusted my friends who were there about who they were. And clearly they weren't trusted people...Sometimes you learn the hard way."
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starlishous96i can't believe that he did that i mean i never knew that he would! i was such a great role model in the olymics and everything! i bet he let a lot of people down!report abuseposted March 23, 2009 6:32 PM PDT
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Tayloreeeeeeewwwwwwreport abuseposted March 15, 2009 9:04 PM PDT
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janiceI don't usually comment on the debatable subjects but I had to speak up on this one. Every one in the USA knows smoking pot is illegal. It seems to me the person that brought this out is worse than what Michael did because he betrayed a friend for a chance to become, in his own eyes, important. If smoking pot one time as a very young man is the worse thing he does we still have a winnerreport abuseposted March 15, 2009 8:02 PM PDT
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jack meoffin resonse to JR's comment..that is 100% retarded.....the only people that say that are people who have never expierienced a drug of some kind....Not that im advocating the use of drugs though Bud shouldnt be considered more of a drug than stogges...and that every 1 should try it at least once to see what the effects are...you cant live life in a shell...you live anywhere from 60 - 100. lreport abuseposted March 15, 2009 7:50 PM PDT
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Gregory BIf the president of the united states and its Olympic hero both admit to smoking pot, Why is it sill illegal?report abuseposted March 15, 2009 7:47 PM PDT
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tit4tatMichael is a great champion.....just cuz he smoked a little pot doesn't make him a loser. Just gotta be more careful!report abuseposted March 15, 2009 1:19 PM PDT
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bonnie cOMG people so he made a mistake big deal, get over it. There are more things in this world that are worst then what he did and all anyone can do is focus on him. Our new President has done drugs but did that stop you from putting him in office....NO and do you down grade him....No please get a life and focus on something more important than a picture of someone with a bong.report abuseposted March 15, 2009 6:00 AM PDT
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Justin SWhy are people so stupid? A good percentage of people smoke pot. Who cares!!! He takes a bong hit and practically gets treated like a criminal. It is so ridiculous.report abuseposted March 14, 2009 7:16 PM PDT
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ACDC BAt first I stood up for Phelps, but now I am losing respect for him with his childlike acquiescence to the media and the public. He should be saying " Yeah, I use pot sometimes, and drink some beers now and then too, so do millions of other american adults, so what? If some of my sponsors aren't cool with it, I understand, but there are others that are happy to stay with or jreport abuseposted March 14, 2009 9:59 AM PDT
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jingo go goSo we give a bunch of crap to a good upstanding cracker, but a coke snorting pot smoking kenyan gets a pass and ends up president of the united stated. THAT'S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW, and it SUXreport abuseposted March 14, 2009 9:32 AM PDT
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