Ryan Lochte hired Justin Bieber's former crisis manager
Olympic swimmer, Ryan Lochte found himself swimming in some very hot water on Thursday after his claim of robbery was discredited by Brazilian authorities.
After authorities claimed the four Team USA swimmers -- Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen -- made up the story to cover up an act of drunken vandalism at a gas station in Rio, they demanded an apology.
Now, Lochte is calling on Justin Bieber's former crisis manager, Matthew Hiltzik, to help clean up the mess.
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Late Thursday night, The Hollywood Reporter reported Lochte had hired one of the top crisis publicists in entertainment, sports and politics -- Matthew Hiltzik -- to help him deal with the scandal.
If the New York-based publicist sounds familiar, you may remember him as the man who handled 22-year-old singer Justin Bieber's paternity claim back in 2011. Hiltzik has also represented NFL's Manti Te'o, MLB's Ryan Braun, Harvey Weinstein, Katie Couric and Alec Baldwin in the past.
Mashable independently verified Hiltzik is working with Lochte, but the company declined to comment on the client or any specifics involving his case.
In addition to tarnishing Lochte's reputation, this scandal could cause his personal brand to take a serious hit. Forbes estimated the swimmer could wind up losing $5 million to $10 million in "future lifetime income," potentially being dropped from key endorsement deals with brands such as Ralph Lauren, Speedo and Airweave.
Lochte posted a highly-curated personal apology to his Instagram page on Friday morning, stating he is sorry for his behavior last weekend and the way in which he described the events. It is no doubt the work of Hiltzik.
"I waited to share these thoughts until it was confirmed that the legal situation was addressed and it was clear that my teammates would be arriving home safely," Lochte wrote.
"I am grateful for my USA Swimming teammates and the USOC, and appreciate all of the efforts of the IOC, the Rio '16 Host Committee, and the people of Brazil who welcomed us to Rio and worked so hard to makes sure that these Olympic Games provided a lifetime of great new memories."
Lochte's teammate --U.S. swimmer Jimmy Feigen -- settled the Rio robbery dispute by paying nearly $11,000 to a Brazilian charity.
Breno Melaragno, Feigen's lawyer, shared the news on Friday: "After a long deliberation, this agreement was reached… he will donate 35,000 reais ($10,800) to an institute, and with that the case is resolved ... After this donation is done, his passport will be given back to him, and he will be free to return home."
Finally, this sorry mess has come to a close and with the help of Hiltzik, Lochte might even make it through unscathed.
You can read a complete timeline of the Lochte saga here.
Topics Olympics
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
