Lance Armstrong
11. Lance Armstrong
Professional cyclist Lance Armstrong was well-loved by the American public for his multiple Tour De France victories and his courageous battle against cancer. But in 2012, after years of denial by Armstrong, it was revealed that he was using performance-enhancing drugs during his Tour victories. Immediately, his anti-cancer charity, the Livestrong Foundation, collapsed. Shortly thereafter, Armstrong was permanently banned from professional cycling.
12. Tawana Brawley
In 1987, at age 15, Tawana Brawley claimed that Dutchess County New York Assistant District Attorney Steven Pagones had raped and tortured her. Subsequently, Pagones spent 25 years in prison attempting to prove his innocence. Brawley appears to have purposely injured herself in order to provide evidence for her charges. Though she has never officially recanted her story, she was ordered by a Court to pay damages, in the multiple thousands of dollars to Pagones.
