McConaughey on Armstrong: 'I Was Mad, Then Kind of Sad'
Matthew McConaughey, a friend of Lance Armstrong, voiced his opinion on the recent confession Armstrong made to Oprah Winfrey about doping. The two men have been friends for several years and even vacationed and rode together during the past few years, although it was always non-competitive.
"My first reaction was I was pissed off. I was mad. I then got kind of sad for him," McConaughey told MTV News during an interview this weekend.
"First off, I had a part of me that took it kind of personally, which I think a lot of people have. What I mean by this is, what was he supposed to do? Call me to the side and go, 'Hey man, I did it but don't tell anybody.' Then I would have really had a reason to be pissed off at him, going, 'You want me to walk around holding this?'"
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When Armstrong decided to come forward about his drug use, he chose to do so in a very public manner. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admitted to using steroids to help him win the Tour-de-France a record seven times. His admission comes after several years of speculation and disappointed numerous fans and friends.
"Where I am now is I've put myself out of the way and I am happy for this guy, who has now chosen to reenter this new chapter of his life a truly free man. And the weight he had on his shoulders, without the boogieman under the bed, the skeleton in the closet that he's carried for 14 years. 14 years he lied and carried the lie with him," McConaughey added.
McConaughey was at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend to promote his new film, "Mud," which follows Jeff Nichols' original film, "Take Shelter."
McConaughey portrays a fugitive who murdered his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. In "Mud," his character is on the lam and planning to run away with the love of his life, played by Reese Witherspoon.
