Suck on this — Ryan Lochte has a new sponsor.
The embattled Olympic swimmer, still steeped in scandal for his bogus account of being robbed at gunpoint at this year’s Summer Games, has signed a new endorsement deal with Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops.
The campaign will center on forgiveness — something Lochte has been desperately seeking since being caught in his fib.
The swimmer will appear in a series of print ads and in a commercial that states, “Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops: Forgiving on Your Throat.”
The ads will be shot in Los Angeles in the next few weeks.
“We all make mistakes, but they’re rarely given front-page scrutiny. He’s a great guy who has done incredible work with charities,” Pine Bros. CEO Rider McDowell said of the deal. “I’m confident that Pine Bros. fans will support our decision to give Ryan a second chance.”
The deal comes at a crucial time for Lochte, who earlier this week saw a slew of sponsors — including Speedo, Ralph Lauren and mattress company Airweave — sever ties with the athlete in light of the scandal.
Earlier this week, it was also reported that Lochte may join the Season 23 cast of ABC reality TV competition “Dancing With the Stars.”