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HBO to Unveil 'Truth' About Duke Lacrosse Scandal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 13 PRNewswire — Premium cable channel HBO has acquired the film rights to the New York Times bestselling book, It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered, by former Sports Illustrated Associate Editor Don Yaeger and former Duke lacrosse coach Mike Pressler.

The book, based in part on a journal kept by Pressler during the weeks after the national scandal erupted, details the persecution of three Duke University lacrosse players after they were falsely accused of gang raping a stripper at a March 2006 team party. The players were cleared of all charges a year later, but the ramifications of the accusation nearly destroyed the lives of those involved.

Its Not About the Truth, published by Simon and Schuster, was the first book released on the case. "At the time this book was written, we filled in many blanks for people who thought they knew the whole story," Pressler said. "In the year since this book was published, even more of the truth has unfolded. This movie will be able to capture that truth."

Josh Maurer, best known for producing HBO's "The Pentagon Papers," will be executive producer of the film.

"What made this a great book — and what will make this a great movie — is that at the end of the day you realize that this could have happened to any one of us," said Yaeger. "As we interviewed all involved, 'there by the grace of God' kept going through my mind."

Yaeger is a four-time New York Times bestselling author and journalist. Pressler currently coaches the Bryant University lacrosse team. A paperback version of the book, with an epilogue covering events of the last year, was released in May.

SOURCE 180 Communications

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