Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps tells Matt Lauer that the bong photo was a “bad mistake.”
March 13, 2009
Michael Phelps Opens Up About the Bong Photo
Topics: Crimes & Court TV News
Celebrities: Michael Phelps
109 Comments
109 responses To Date
1 rastayogi10 • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:11 pm
woo hoo 1st again XD
2 JillianiLove • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:11 pm
We just had a debate about this in my CMS class. I’m glad he’s talked about this. Great job Michael. 5*
(1st)
3 alextalks • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:11 pm
joi
4 JillianiLove • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Or 2nd. Lol.
5 rastayogi10 • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:12 pm
ha ha look again about being first XD
6 JillianiLove • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Good job. Beat me by 4 secs. Lol.
7 PreciousCookie13 • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I’m Glad He Spoke About It, Ppl He Made A Mistake, Give Him A Break, It’s Obvious He Learned From It!
8 bulls7123 • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:31 pm
People are not perfect?!! Nooooooooooo………
9 exohlexo • Mar 13, 2009 at 3:57 pm
my heart is broken now! my hero michael phelps hit a bong! this is an outrage….. inside sources say he even ate a bag of chips after that and laughed at a movie that wasnt that funny. i thought u were cool phelps….
10 setup4disaster • Mar 13, 2009 at 4:17 pm
oohh he smoked weed! :O end of the world! please.. get over yourself
11 StandYourGrounds • Mar 13, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I thought everyone smokes weed… It’s good for your heart, and healthier then cigarettes.
12 bf6067 • Mar 13, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I am really disappointed that such a big deal is being made out of this. I am not saying I condone it but come on, it isn’t like he raped someone or lit a cat on fire. He still is a champion in my book!
13 jtbowman132 • Mar 13, 2009 at 4:50 pm
OMG WOW!
14 thornbell • Mar 13, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Michael, people can think and say whatever they want and nothing you can do to stop them. But always remember this, THAT’S YOUR LIFE. YOU CAN THINK, SAY OR DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! If you made a mistake, the only person you have to apologize to is yourself! YOU DON’T OWE ANYONE AN APOLOGY.
15 oddos5 • Mar 13, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I thkn the media made a bigger deal out of this than anybody. I don’t think people really care that he was smoking weed. Hey, at least its not crack.
16 musiclover397 • Mar 13, 2009 at 7:08 pm
so many people these days are smoking weed. if he werent famous you wouldnt here anything about it. like he said, it was a mistake. its not like he is consistently doing it. the media is making way too big of a deal about this.
17 112namrepus • Mar 13, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Yeah, no cell phone pics! LOL!
Slick no more PICTURES of him smoking pot. He might still do it.
He refers to the PICTURE as a mistake he will never make again. Not the smoking.
18 112namrepus • Mar 13, 2009 at 7:25 pm
LMAO! You are a funny!
19 georgevandam • Mar 13, 2009 at 7:44 pm
ugly!!!! you’re a freak!!! i’m so scared…..doparismene kefte!!! doped meatball!!!
20 xpyro451x • Mar 13, 2009 at 8:16 pm
just goes to show you…. puff some herb, win 8 gold medals, nuff said
21 sanchizmo77 • Mar 13, 2009 at 9:29 pm
no phelps keep it real. it’s not crack.
22 stevenwebbwebbw • Mar 13, 2009 at 10:09 pm
it’s just pot =P
23 BurtonRMC • Mar 13, 2009 at 10:33 pm
OH NO! NOT WEED! He probably got semi red eyes and got a little hungry! THE HUMANITY!!! people need to get a life
24 indiaknoles • Mar 13, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Tell me about it.
25 indiaknoles • Mar 13, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Oh you KNOW whoever took that pic had it IN for Phelps! lol sorry mike.
26 tranxendentalist • Mar 13, 2009 at 11:27 pm
i like his new hair. he’s getting hotter.
27 browneyez1012 • Mar 14, 2009 at 12:34 am
and chris brown has made great music, acted in some movies, great concerts, and lets not forget the dance moves lawd have mercy lol. Yea chris brown should be allowed to beat up rihanna and cheat after all that he did for the country. same with micheal, he should fry up his brains cells and hurt his fans by not being a role model. imagine the the lil boy that looked up to him and said ” i want to be a great swimmer like him”. but it’s still all good cuz he won some medals lol idiot.
28 browneyez1012 • Mar 14, 2009 at 12:35 am
it’s more like “puff” and ur endorsements are gone lol
29 Michael Phelps Opens Up About the Bong Photo | CelebTV.com … | Biography of Michael Phelps • Mar 13, 2009 at 8:19 pm
[...] Read the rest here: Michael Phelps Opens Up About the Bong Photo | CelebTV.com … [...]
30 tamazenko • Mar 14, 2009 at 1:29 am
US needs him to win golden medals, so most likely they are going to train him back up for Olympics.
31 2006roxyoboxmusa • Mar 14, 2009 at 3:01 am
please, people is just trynna back him up becuz he’s a weedhead like them.
32 jacobleb420 • Mar 14, 2009 at 3:21 am
why would anyone care about this, people act like he took steroids!
33 djmixalus • Mar 14, 2009 at 3:55 am
He didint inhale – peer pressure – his street cred is on the rise – it was a black mail sceme – an associate duped him into it – “what will you look if you “pretended” to smoke that thing it be cool , this cell phone doesnt even have a camera” he then demand money or else – he refuses and there you have it.
34 ThomasStillbranch • Mar 14, 2009 at 8:42 am
im not talking about any old celebrity
im talking about someone who does something spectacular like go to the moon or shit like that
and michael phelpes is a trained swimmer, not a trained role model
35 suljahh • Mar 14, 2009 at 10:08 am
lol
36 dreamerz007clover • Mar 14, 2009 at 2:50 pm
he always have choices,no one could force him if he would have said “no”.
37 kswissowner • Mar 14, 2009 at 3:05 pm
america needs to quit worrying about pot because theres bigger problems in the world like war disease and hunger.damn
38 kmdale13 • Mar 14, 2009 at 6:40 pm
So because he’s an athlete he should be excused from the law?
Marijuana is against the law and in some ways more harmful to you than ciggarettes. Phelps doesn’t need it, if he did then he wouldn’t have gotten in trouble.
39 Dennim • Mar 14, 2009 at 1:50 pm
That as no mistake ,he knew what he was doing. Apoligies just dont cut it. He broke the law,Do the crime ,do the time,
40 lad162 • Mar 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm
its marajuana if you were here 20 years ago it would be uncool to smoke it who cares he still won 8 gold medals how much have you won?
41 kmdale13 • Mar 14, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Twenty years ago and crack was the way to go. Fourty years ago and marijuana and acid were cool, so what’s your point?
And doesn’t Phelps actually have 14 Olympic gold medals, but what’s your point? Why does the fact that he’s an amazing swimmer allow him to break laws?
42 BacktotheBasics93 • Mar 14, 2009 at 7:59 pm
He looks good with longer hair!
43 lad162 • Mar 14, 2009 at 8:36 pm
because everyone does it you o to google images look up people smoking bongs do they get punished no why are they getting treated differently because no one knows about them
44 dezmika • Mar 14, 2009 at 8:50 pm
lol all this media shit over a pic of him using a bong, LUL. He should be praised for doing so well still
45 kmdale13 • Mar 14, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I will when you learn proper english.
I’m trying to make the point that it is illegal NOW.
46 4D1A6Z • Mar 14, 2009 at 10:00 pm
michael phelps is still cool the media is just a bunch of idiots!
47 JuggaletteLADY13 • Mar 14, 2009 at 10:03 pm
bet hes feelin like a dumbass
48 soulmate93 • Mar 14, 2009 at 11:03 pm
i don’t kno why you americans make such big deal about this, you guys needa know that everyone in college smokes and nothings wrong with it, he shouldnt even be apologizing
49 silentkaas • Mar 15, 2009 at 1:08 am
big friggin deal, a huge percentage of ppl smoke pot theese days
50 topmcat • Mar 15, 2009 at 3:09 am
LOL, as an american college kid, let me be the first to tell you, your preaching to the choir!!
51 WornWings • Mar 15, 2009 at 4:00 am
doesnt make it okay
52 newjersey02 • Mar 15, 2009 at 5:16 am
Guys, Stop smoking, Its a mind control thing.
53 indyfan22k • Mar 15, 2009 at 5:41 am
Remember that facts of life episode with the bongs ??
54 yungnck87 • Mar 15, 2009 at 6:06 am
An who is u to say he dont need it? Do u be around him every day? Goin thru the shit he go thru? I doubt it. U probaby sit in front of the pc and strangle the chicken. Sad. My point is ciggs are NEVER worse than Marijuana. Ciggarettes contain pretty much every thing under kitchen sink. Jane has none of those things. If u smoke out of a bong, it filters out the thc, which is the bad stuff ur probably thinkin about. Ciggarettes can cause lung cancer, marijuana causes the muchies. Which one u want?
55 73ohjohnnyboy73 • Mar 15, 2009 at 7:37 am
Dude smoked cheeba and still won 8 f’n medals. Give him a break!
56 misakisheraz • Mar 15, 2009 at 9:36 am
what a lame hair cut – the bong made him dumb and he got a goof hair cut
57 Richenough2 • Mar 15, 2009 at 10:03 am
I dont think he should be apologizing either … but its an image thing. plus he wants to keep making that money…. So Phelps can lie all he want on national tv to fool the public opinion… But we know he will be back in that basement getting high before a swim meet.
58 PenisBoat • Mar 15, 2009 at 12:22 pm
LOL no wonder he eats 12′000 calories a day hes a stoner and constantly has the munchies
59 bangkokjames • Mar 15, 2009 at 1:31 pm
lol yeah it helps him eat that much
60 zeezoomzoom • Mar 15, 2009 at 1:44 pm
so what if he used Bong or weed or whatever !
he give the Americans real hope after a years of disappointment …
61 samuelflower • Mar 15, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I think the media needs to get off their high horse and leave Michael alone! Yes, I wouldn’t want my 8 year old son smoking weed but there are worse things in the world! Mandoff stole MILLIONS from innocent people, Sir Allan Standford did the same things across four countries! (US, England, Antigua, St. Kitts). Enron defrauded its employees and we’re crucifying Michael Phelps for smoking a bong? Really? Mike is a hard worker, humble, patriotic, gifted and most important, a team player! Go Mike!
62 ursuchawasteofsperm • Mar 15, 2009 at 2:44 pm
why is he apologizing again?
shit if u wanna toke then toke
63 Bigkokboy • Mar 15, 2009 at 2:46 pm
what a pothead. He is awesome though, he is gonna burnout now and be a huge media joke. He’s gonna turn into the next Dennis Rodman and change his image completely. Watch, its gonna be hilarious.
Go Phelps!!! Dummy.
64 MRsprinkle12345 • Mar 15, 2009 at 4:01 pm
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65 KkBeAr15 • Mar 15, 2009 at 5:14 pm
so wat if he smoked pot?! wat he did wasnt as bad as wat Chris Brown did 2 Rihanna! Phelps will get just a little scolding & his career will go back being good but Chris’s career won’t & he’ll definitely have a hard time getting his career back.
66 dutchmafia999 • Mar 15, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Just goes to show you that there are no health problems related to smoking pot. For some people it puts them in a zone and helps them concentrate on whats important. You train hard, you puff hard, everyone has a balance.
67 xoxMyHeartIsYoursxox • Mar 15, 2009 at 6:57 pm
he said about hurting people with that photo. He hurt me…I look(ed) and still look up to this guy, thank god he opened up.
Go Phelps!!
68 xyukifangirlx • Mar 15, 2009 at 7:23 pm
nothing wrong with smoking weed..no advances no disadvantages……its all good
69 alfredcoleman1990 • Mar 15, 2009 at 8:52 pm
hay his right if onet two some.then let do shyt its his victory .lol
70 syndromecalx • Mar 15, 2009 at 11:56 pm
It’s a damn shame that the whole damn world is gonna guilt trip a guy for what like 30% of this country does every day. Whats next, “Michael Phelps enjoyed a heineken and is now suspened from swimming?”. Pot isnt exactly steroids, nor is it performance enhancing. I live in a city comprised of 20-somethings and I would say about every other person at least smokes once a month so it IS normal. Its really considered more of a crime to arrest someone for a joint than to have one yourself.
71 lalabush524 • Mar 16, 2009 at 12:00 am
Really though people need to give him a break! almost everyone has done so at least once in their life and he just won 8 medals!! It’s not that big of a deal and he is still an amazing athlete!!
72 KIWI897 • Mar 16, 2009 at 3:46 am
I agree
73 TimothydrinkzTea • Mar 16, 2009 at 4:17 am
hahaha i bet all those above weed guys are going ape shit haha smoke weed and you can be a 14 gold medal olympic champion haha yeah go michael
74 trueyou2 • Mar 16, 2009 at 11:55 am
what is sad, is that he is f-ing ugly! lol yeah he is!
75 MzTexasRaised • Mar 16, 2009 at 3:57 pm
** Lightz a Blunt ** .. I don’t see what the problem is ???? Hey Phelps you can always move to Cali. ( don’t know where u are from )
76 gamblestyle • Mar 16, 2009 at 6:55 pm
As many Gold medals as this guy won he should be able to get ripped out of his mind as much as he wants. O.J. killed some fools and got away with it and all he did was play football.
77 img921 • Mar 16, 2009 at 8:42 pm
I personally HATE pot, the way it smells, everything, but the man is an adult and at liberty to make choice (and/or mistakes) like everyone else.
And if anything, weed would inhibit his performance, so you gotta realize the man is an AMAZING athlete whether he’s smoking a blunt or not.
78 Joseluissamaniego • Mar 17, 2009 at 3:18 pm
HEY MICHAEL GIVE ME SOME WEED MAN..
79 hbkshawnmichaels08 • Mar 17, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Ah, cut him some slack…he was just havin a lil fun
80 enlistedingodsarmy • Mar 18, 2009 at 6:55 am
Why are you apologizing? You shouldn’t be ashamed!
81 x1y1l1e1m • Mar 19, 2009 at 2:53 pm
This is frekin nuts. There are so many people out there openly smoking pot or taking x. Bullshit I don’t give a damn.
82 DDRpwnerer • Mar 19, 2009 at 4:28 pm
God, just leave this story alone already–everybody out there smokes pot and doesn’t care, or they don’t smoke pot and they’d really rather not hear about it.
83 qevans03 • Mar 20, 2009 at 2:12 pm
As a pot smoker it actually makes me respect him more that he has smoked pot and still won 8 Gold medals at the Olympics. How many professional athletes do you see smoking cigarettes? None, because you can’t and still be in top physical shape. You can smoke a little pot though.
84 postrealitysyndrome • Mar 20, 2009 at 8:36 pm
This even more so dispels the myth that pot it so harmful that it warrants criminalization.
85 Sliverswamp • Mar 21, 2009 at 10:37 pm
I’d hit a bong with him lol
86 phobosx12 • Mar 24, 2009 at 10:51 pm
pot criminalizes thousands every year…for no reason…if your going to make cannabis illegal then make caffeine, nicotine, and alchol illegal they do way more damage anyway
87 phobosx12 • Mar 24, 2009 at 10:52 pm
yea hes token and won 8 gold medals…maybe instead of saying hes a screw up why dont we admit the law is a screw up
88 ThomasStillbranch • Mar 24, 2009 at 11:45 pm
i’ve never smoked pot
and the key word of my statement is any OLD celebrity
rappers for example are celebrities but what have they contributed to the country
Olympians on the other hand are national heroes
and yes your right, there are no trained role models and that was exactly my point
(oh and why are you being so hateful towards me, debates don’t require demeaning your opponent)
89 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 12:55 am
u already demeaned urself by defending a horrible, stupid and immature situation. whats next, tell kids to learn how to be cool by smoking, and when they get done with that move to something better like crack lol. u might as well smoke it since u defend it. and what u said was sooo stupid lol. that’s why i had to let it out on u. and everyone contributes in some way. lets not forget paying taxes or giving to charity.
90 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 12:56 am
everyone?
91 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 12:58 am
yea let’s all hail to the wonderful athlete who destroys himself. u might as well hail to lidsay lohan for crack too lmao!!!!
92 postrealitysyndrome • Mar 25, 2009 at 4:18 am
why such hostility? Phelps represented a “free” country when he won his medals, demonstrating what a strong work ethic can accomplish. The comparison with Brown is ridiculous because it’s such a difference in scale. First of all, possession of weed (at least in Cal) is an infraction, punishable with a ticket, whereas beating up someone is a felonious assault, rightfully punishable with jail time.
Furthermore, Phelps isn’t obligated to be an ideal role model just because he wins medals.
93 ThomasStillbranch • Mar 25, 2009 at 7:08 am
weed is horrible?
i’m not saying marijuana is a carrot or anything but beer and cigarettes are more harmful than it
94 qevans03 • Mar 25, 2009 at 10:50 am
By destroy himself you mean his career right? Cause smokin a little pot is not going to DESTROY your body. LOL Granted anything in excess is bad but a joint here and there will not destroy you. Stop overreacting you f*cking zealot.
95 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 11:57 am
it’s the same as a cigarette idiot lol. smoke is smoke. it doesn’t belong in ur body. even wild fires could destroy u, but it’s from nature right. why not smoke poisin ivy or oregeno lmao!
96 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 11:59 am
then why does it cloud ur judgement and make u hallicinate and shit lol. because it’s a damn drug. it wasnt made to be inhaled. goodness talkin to ya potheads is like talking to a wall.
97 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 12:04 pm
chris brown was just one example. im talking about everyone in general. he is not more special than anyone, he is human too. weed is a drug, he should know better than to do somethin stupid. and not only ur supoose to be a role model for others, but for urself. if u don’t respect urself, than others won’t. and someone is always watching whether u know it or not. i dare u to say somethin bad in front of a random child lol, they’re watching and copying.
98 qevans03 • Mar 25, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I have never hallucinated in my life, not from pot or anything so wtf are you talking about? I would argue that it does not cloud your judgment either because I have never done anything I would not normally do on weed. Know what you are talking about before you speak. Pot is the least of societies’ problems. Let’s work on making cigarettes which kill more people in a day than the combined pot related deaths.
99 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 2:53 pm
tell that to the others that do be on that shit. ive seen it for myself. they laugh for nothing, and they act crazy. it makes ur eyes red, it stinks, it’s just horrible. wats the point of it. it doesn’t do anything gud for u. oh yea don’t u know u can get lung cancer and mess up ur brain cells. ur a gud example lol. it’s comparable to cigarettes & u knw it’s true, u keep bringing it up. jus stop tryin to justify for it. there is nothin u can say to change wat it really is. stop bein in denial
100 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 2:56 pm
also think about it (if u can lol), was it really worth it to ruin his career and reputation. ya think weed is so magical or somethin lol, then why did he lose his endorsements. and why he actin guilty.
101 qevans03 • Mar 25, 2009 at 5:06 pm
It’s not really comparable to cigarettes…there are a few exceptions but nobody ever really dies from marijuana related death. Cigarettes claim more lives in a day. As far as brain cells…you’ll notice some short term memory loss (if you smoke it everyday). And stop lying nobody f*cking hallucinates. And yea it might make you laugh and have a good time what’s wrong with that you f*cking prude.
102 qevans03 • Mar 25, 2009 at 5:08 pm
As far as acting crazy…I would argue that you’re friends would act worse on alchohol. Personally I don’t act crazy when I’m high, I just laugh and eat. I’m done with this discussion. You don’t like it don’t smoke it, but yea I don’t think it was worth his excellent endorsements. But at the end of the day he’s still a phenomenal athlete and all you pretentious people who don’t like him cause he smoke need to light one up and take it easy.
103 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 7:50 pm
that’s why they are not my friends anymore. they decided to hang with the wrong crowd. and yes he is a great athlete, but he still makes mistakes, and that one was really stupid. hopefully he can learn from it. i never said i hated him, i just hate his decision and the comments these potheads made.
104 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 7:54 pm
that’s whats wrong wit ya potheads. jus because a person is smart and decides not to do drugs, get drunk, etc. then supposely we are boring and not cool. WRONG! if u got to know me, u wud know that im a happy, hyper, smart, fun and caring person. u don’t need drugs or alcohol to have fun and be crazy (in a good way of course). years from now ur gonna learn that.
105 browneyez1012 • Mar 25, 2009 at 8:26 pm
thanks for the compliment. the word idiot coming from a pothead to us right minded people means smart. if u can think it means we are the opposite. get it?ok hopefully u got that lol. idiot
106 leArchomme • Mar 25, 2009 at 8:38 pm
That’s a bunch of shit, you know he still hits the bong
107 postrealitysyndrome • Mar 26, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Hello. 1st of all, your assertion that cigs lead to crack speaks well of your irrational and unfounded claims that pot leads to heavier drug use.
I agree with you that we need to be role models to others and for ourselves as well, However, respecting one’s self would equally apply on addictions to drugs like coffee, sugar, junk/fast food, as well as prescription medications.
108 postrealitysyndrome • Mar 26, 2009 at 5:48 pm
excellent advice at the end!!
109 postrealitysyndrome • Mar 26, 2009 at 5:54 pm
(also alcohol!-which is promoted at sports venues) Addictions to sugar have contributed to much of our individual and collective health care costs, for instance.
I think there is validity and economy in medical-use marijuana, both as a taxable good and as an effective, cost-effective treatment for a number of ailments including depression, anxiety, muscle/back pains, to name a few.