Michael Phelps Speaks on Ryan Lochte Alleged Robbery Scandal

Ryan Lochte has been at the center of the sports world the past few days. He had everyone convinced that he and three other swimmers were held up at gunpoint, but the narrative quickly turned when it became clear he may have fabricated the story. People started calling him a damn liar. It's mayhem, or as some have dubbed it, a LochMess.

Naturally, even though he wasn't a part of the drama, Michael Phelps is a relevant party because he's lifelong buddies and rivals with Lochte. A paparazzo approached Phelps outside of a Starbucks and asked him some questions about Lochte, and to our surprise, he actually answered them—though he didn't spend much breath on the intrepid reporter.

Phelps said he has not spoken to Lochte since the scandal broke.

Asked whether or not he believes Lochte will get out of this situation unscathed, Phelps responded: "We have good people taking care of it, so hopefully." Notice he said "we." Best buds are ride or die.

E! News shared the footage tonight. In very important related news, E! reported Phelps stopped to thank fans on his coffee-gathering outing.​

He got back to the United States Wednesday morning after claiming five golds in Rio. Immediately after getting home, Phelps shot down a local TV reporter, absolutely sonning him in a very awkward failed interview. Perhaps Phelps didn't want a repeat of that situation, which is why he answered this paparazzo's questions.

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