1 week ago
19
ARTICLE AD BOX
The 12-time Olympic medalist and his ex-wife, Kayla, share three children between the ages of eight and two.
This post discusses depression and substance abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
I expect you’re familiar with Ryan Lochte. He’s a swimmer with 12 Olympic medals to his name — making him the third most decorated swimmer in history, behind only Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
Harry How / Getty Images
As you may have heard, Ryan’s had a rough few years. In November 2024, he opened up about struggling with depression and self-doubt following a serious car accident, and just last week, he shared that he completed a rehab program for “substance abuse.”
Julio Aguilar / Getty Images
“After my accident in 2023, I fell into a really dark place…Substance abuse isn’t a solution, it’s a distraction that makes things worse,” he said in a video shared to Instagram on Aug. 29. In the clip, he told his one million IG followers that he is now “thinking clearly” and feeling more “motivated” since completing his rehab program. “I feel better and happier than I have in years,” he said.
Ryan’s rehab revelation comes less than three months after he and his wife of seven years, Kayla Reid Lochte, confirmed that they were divorcing. Now, as Kayla seeks full custody of the former couple’s three shared children, she has presented a number of allegations about her ex-husband’s past drug misuse.
Simon Bruty / Getty Images
Ryan and Kayla, who met in 2016 and tied the knot in 2018, have three children: eight-year-old Caiden, six-year-old Liv, and two-year-old Georgia.
In court documents obtained by People — which have been temporarily sealed from the public per Ryan’s attorney’s request to the court — Kayla alleged that Ryan used drugs in front of their children prior to their split. He has adamantly denied the accusations.
Rebecca Sapp / Getty Images
Us Weekly was the first outlet to report the news.
As well as accusing her ex of allegedly “inhaling nitrous oxide in front of” one of their children while they “were in the garage with him,” Kayla also claimed that she had found “mostly empty baggies of cocaine around the marital home as [Ryan] had consumed the majority of the contents before the baggies were discovered.”
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
The docs detail that she allegedly located empty drug bags in places such as their child’s bedroom, on their bathroom counter, and under the dining room table.
Kayla also suggested that Ryan had allegedly “driven the children to school while intoxicated” and had a tendency to “doze off.” “Upon his return home, [Kayla] would find him passed out in the driver’s seat, with the car still on and the music blaring,” the filing purports. “[Ryan] has also fallen asleep while being the only adult watching the children because [Kayla] was working out of town.”
Lily Lawrence / Getty Images
In her pursuit to obtain full custody of the three kids, Kayla claimed that “shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children” because her ex-husband “has a history of substance abuse and, upon information and belief, he is still abusing illegal controlled substances.” In Ryan’s Aug. 29 Instagram video, he claimed to be more than 50 days sober.
“[Ryan’s] recurring and repeated irresponsible behavior shows he is unfit to exercise shared parental responsibility, and it would [be] a detriment to the minor children to award the same,” the court docs read.
Ryan has refuted these accusations, saying in a statement given to People and Us Weekly: “I am not denying that I used drugs in my home, but I adamantly deny ever using drugs in front of or around my children, and I have never driven them while intoxicated. At times, I would rest in my truck instead of going inside — not because I was impaired, but because the home environment had become overwhelming and very toxic and I needed a moment to collect myself before walking in.”
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
“I have tried desperately to keep these divorce proceedings private and sealed, not to protect myself, but to protect my children from fabricated allegations that could hurt them. Unfortunately, despite that effort, my ex-wife chose to make this matter public, knowing I was already in intensive rehab,” he continued.
“We all make mistakes in life. We are not defined by those mistakes, but by how we learn from them and the work we put in to overcome them. I am extremely sorry for hurting or disappointing anyone along the way,” his statement to Us Weekly concluded. “My focus now is on my recovery, on being the best father I can be, and on moving forward in a way that keeps my kids safe, supported, and loved.”
Michael Kovac / Getty Images
“To anyone struggling with substance abuse: you are not alone,” he said. “There are people who love you, and there are resources that can help. Reaching out for support is the first step toward healing.”
BuzzFeed has reached out to Ryan’s representative for comment. We’ll keep you posted with any updates.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
en_UK · 
English (US) ·