The 12-time Olympic medalist and his ex-wife, Kayla, stock 3 children betwixt the ages of 8 and two.
This station discusses slump and substance abuse. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with substance abuse, you tin telephone SAMHSA’s National Helpline astatine 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find much resources here.
I expect you’re acquainted with Ryan Lochte. He’s a swimmer with 12 Olympic medals to his sanction — making him the 3rd astir decorated swimmer successful history, down lone Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.

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As you whitethorn person heard, Ryan’s had a unsmooth fewer years. In November 2024, helium opened up astir struggling with depression and self-doubt pursuing a superior car accident, and conscionable past week, helium shared that helium completed a rehab programme for “substance abuse.”

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“After my mishap successful 2023, I fell into a truly acheronian place…Substance maltreatment isn’t a solution, it’s a distraction that makes things worse,” helium said successful a video shared to Instagram connected Aug. 29. In the clip, helium told his 1 cardinal IG followers that helium is present “thinking clearly” and feeling much “motivated” since completing his rehab program. “I consciousness amended and happier than I person successful years,” helium said.
Ryan’s rehab revelation comes little than 3 months aft helium and his woman of 7 years, Kayla Reid Lochte, confirmed that they were divorcing. Now, arsenic Kayla seeks afloat custody of the erstwhile couple’s 3 shared children, she has presented a fig of allegations astir her ex-husband’s past cause misuse.
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Ryan and Kayla, who met successful 2016 and tied the knot successful 2018, person 3 children: eight-year-old Caiden, six-year-old Liv, and two-year-old Georgia.
In tribunal documents obtained by People — which person been temporarily sealed from the nationalist per Ryan’s attorney’s petition to the tribunal — Kayla alleged that Ryan utilized drugs successful beforehand of their children anterior to their split. He has adamantly denied the accusations.
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Us Weekly was the archetypal outlet to study the news.
As good arsenic accusing her ex of allegedly “inhaling nitrous oxide successful beforehand of” 1 of their children portion they “were successful the store with him,” Kayla besides claimed that she had recovered “mostly bare baggies of cocaine astir the marital location arsenic [Ryan] had consumed the bulk of the contents earlier the baggies were discovered.”
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The docs item that she allegedly located bare cause bags successful places specified arsenic their child’s bedroom, connected their bath counter, and nether the eating country table.
Kayla besides suggested that Ryan had allegedly “driven the children to schoolhouse portion intoxicated” and had a inclination to “doze off.” “Upon his instrumentality home, [Kayla] would find him passed retired successful the driver’s seat, with the car inactive connected and the euphony blaring,” the filing purports. “[Ryan] has besides fallen dormant portion being the lone big watching the children due to the fact that [Kayla] was moving retired of town.”
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In her pursuit to get afloat custody of the 3 kids, Kayla claimed that “shared parental work would beryllium detrimental to the children” due to the fact that her ex-husband “has a past of substance maltreatment and, upon accusation and belief, helium is inactive abusing amerciable controlled substances.” In Ryan’s Aug. 29 Instagram video, helium claimed to beryllium much than 50 days sober.
“[Ryan’s] recurring and repeated irresponsible behaviour shows helium is unfit to workout shared parental responsibility, and it would [be] a detriment to the insignificant children to grant the same,” the tribunal docs read.
Ryan has refuted these accusations, saying successful a connection fixed to People and Us Weekly: “I americium not denying that I utilized drugs successful my home, but I adamantly contradict ever utilizing drugs successful beforehand of oregon astir my children, and I person ne'er driven them portion intoxicated. At times, I would remainder successful my motortruck alternatively of going wrong — not due to the fact that I was impaired, but due to the fact that the location situation had go overwhelming and precise toxic and I needed a infinitesimal to cod myself earlier walking in.”
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“I person tried desperately to support these divorcement proceedings backstage and sealed, not to support myself, but to support my children from fabricated allegations that could wounded them. Unfortunately, contempt that effort, my ex-wife chose to marque this substance public, knowing I was already successful intensive rehab,” helium continued.
“We each marque mistakes successful life. We are not defined by those mistakes, but by however we larn from them and the enactment we enactment successful to flooded them. I americium highly atrocious for hurting oregon disappointing anyone on the way,” his connection to Us Weekly concluded. “My absorption present is connected my recovery, connected being the champion begetter I tin be, and connected moving guardant successful a mode that keeps my kids safe, supported, and loved.”
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“To anyone struggling with substance abuse: you are not alone,” helium said. “There are radical who emotion you, and determination are resources that tin help. Reaching retired for enactment is the archetypal measurement toward healing.”
BuzzFeed has reached retired to Ryan’s typical for comment. We’ll support you posted with immoderate updates.
If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with substance abuse, you tin telephone SAMHSA’s National Helpline astatine 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find much resources here.
The National Alliance connected Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides accusation and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an relation of intelligence wellness professionals from much than 25 countries who enactment efforts to trim harm successful therapy.