Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has broken her silence on the "hell and torture" of being in prison for defrauding shareholders and customers.
Theranos, once hailed an innovation success, collapsed after its faulty blood testing devices were exposed. Holmes, who amassed a $4.5 billion fortune as the company's founder, claimed the technology could detect numerous diseases with a few drops of blood. However, unreliable results led to a criminal scandal.
"I'm not the same person I was back then," Holmes, who was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud in January 2022, told People in a new interview. "It's surreal. People who have never met me believe so strongly about me. They don't understand who I am."
Since Theranos shut down in 2018, John Carreyrou's "Bad Blood" was published in the same year. Carreyrou had exposed Theranos in a 2015 Wall Street Journal article. The story later became a Netflix documentary in 2019 and a Hulu biopic series, "The Dropout," starring Amanda Seyfried in 2022.
"It forces you to spend a lot of time questioning belief and hoping the truth will prevail," Holmes said of the hype surrounding her. "I am walking by faith and, ultimately, the truth."
Holmes pleaded not guilty during her trial and maintains her innocence, according to E! News. However, looking back, she admits she would have handled things "differently."
Commenting on her stay at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, Holmes stated, "It's been hell and torture to be here."
During her interview with People, Holmes, who shares son William, 3, and Invicta, 22 months, with husband Billy Evans, also reflected on how it has impacted motherhood, saying watching her children leave after their visits "shatters" her.
"The people I love the most have to walk away as I stand here, a prisoner, and my reality sinks in," she said. "I always wanted to be a mother. I truly did not think I would ever be convicted or found guilty."
Holmes, whose release is set for April 2032, is now mapping out her future, which she claims will involve prison reform advocacy and, surprisingly, a return to the medical research field.
"There is not a day I have not continued to work on my research and inventions," she said. "I remain completely committed to my dream of making affordable healthcare solutions available to everyone."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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