Gay porn boxer admits he lied

HE LIED. We suspected as much, but now Philly boxer Yusaf Mack is outright admitting that he lied about being drugged into doing gay sex for a XXX-rated porn flick.

"I was ashamed," the former champ told me yesterday. "I'm sorry for lying. I've always been curious.''

By now, you've probably heard about Mack and the infamous "Holiday Hump'n" sex tape circulating that shows him engaging in a steamy threesome with two other hunky men.

It's been the talk.

Not just in Philly but nationwide. My front-page column describing his accusations about having been drugged and tricked into doing gay porn went viral last week, with versions of the story popping up as far away as London's Daily Mail.

During the course of reporting on Mack's crazy tale of traveling in June to New York City by train and blacking out after someone handed him a pill and vodka, I contacted medical experts who said it was possible that he could have been drugged and still been able to perform sexually.

Yesterday, though, Mack shut that possibility down when he admitted what many already suspected about his eyebrow-raising tale of returning to consciousness on a train at 30th Street Station with $4,500 in his pocket. It was all made up.

"I needed the money. Times were hard," admitted Mack, unemployed father of 10 kids and grandfather of three. "I just want people to know I did it because I had to take care of my children . . . It was better than going out and robbing somebody."

His admission came days after DawgPound USA, the company that markets the porn flick on its website, issued the following statement:

"DawgPoundUSA.com is a reputable company which has produced high quality videos of men-of-color since 2002.

"At no time have we ever coerced or drugged any of our models. The claims made by Mr. Mack are false, slanderous, and vehemently denied on our part. We intend to take all legal steps necessary to protect our good name and reputation against these patently false and preposterous claims."

Since the story hit, Mack's life has been full of wild ups and downs. Would-be sex partners - female, gay and transgender - have flooded his in-box on Facebook with offers to hook up. One relative was so disgusted that he told Mack to kill himself. Mack's children - the ones old enough to understand - have been understandably upset, and his fiancee walked out on him.

"She couldn't handle it," Mack explained. "I was up front with her . . . she couldn't handle it. I don't even want her back. If you weren't there for me through this time, I don't need you."

Anthony Cherry, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist/crisis public-relations manager, was so moved by Mack's situation that he reached out to him on Instagram and offered to represent him for free. On Sunday night, Cherry wrote up a statement on Mack's behalf, which he mailed to a gossip website, TheShadeRoom.com.

According to the website, it reads in part: "This is an issued public apology from my heart. I want to address a few situations with the first being the false claims I made about being drugged during the Dog Pound adult film. I have never spoke negatively about the company that produced the film although the claim to have been given a drug by someone during set was a lie. I was completely aware and fully conscious during the film.

"The second situation . . . concerns my lifestyle. I did participate in the adult film because at the time I needed money but also because I am a bisexual man. Meaning I enjoy safely being intimate with whomever I choose.

"Lastly I would like to address the reason I lied. My life was completely destroyed once it had been outed that I participated in a gay film. I selfishly tried to cover the truth and remain in denial, rather than accept the fact that I was leading a double life secretly."

During interviews, Mack doesn't talk much and even yesterday while we were speaking during a conference call, he slipped back into denial, making the excuse, "It was the first time, though." A photo that's been circulating of him with two different naked men begs to differ.

I listened as Cherry urged his new client to stop holding back and to be honest, saying, "You have to walk in your truth." At one point, he flat out asked Mack, "Are you gay or bi?"

"All of the above," Mack answered.

Dewitt Drayton, a family friend who's been helping Mack and also was in on the call, said a book about the boxer's life called After the Bell is in production.

First, though, Mack needs emotional help badly. He has serious problems when it comes to the truth. Mack also needs to accept who he is.

Drayton wants to get him away from Philadelphia for a while. Mack's representatives are in talks with a producer from "Dr. Phil," which plans to fly Mack to Los Angeles next week.

The timing couldn't be better for Mack, who retired from professional boxing last year. "I need to get away to clear my head," he said.

On Twitter: @JeniceArmstrong

Blog: ph.ly/HeyJen

Email: armstrj@phillynews.com