Olympian Ryan Lochte's Ex Breaks Her Silence, Blames Him for Their Divorce
Olympian Ryan Lochte's estranged wife Kayla Reid Lochtefiled for divorce from the Olympic swimmer over a year ago — and now she's breaking her silence about what led the pair to where they are now.
In an interview with People published on Wednesday, Kayla said she and the six-time gold medal winner are "not in a good place." The pair share three children: son Caiden and daughters Liv and Georgia.
She added: "I really pray that he becomes the father our kids deserve."
Kayla and Caroline Lunny recently launched "The Comeback Era" podcast, where, among other topics, the pair will discuss what went wrong in Kayla and Ryan's marriage. While speaking to People, Kayla noted that the two are "parallel parenting" and indicated they "try to have minimal interaction."
Kayla Reid Lochte filed for divorce in June 2025
Kayla announced she had filed for divorce from Ryan in June 2025 after seven years of marriage. She confirmed the news on Instagram.
“Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,” Kayla wrote at the time. “I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life. I’ve been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds.”
She continued, “Sometimes we face trials we didn’t choose or see coming. And in those moments, we’re forced to make the hardest decisions to protect our peace, our children, and our future. I’ve come to the understanding that staying isn’t always the most loving decision someone can make. For me, leaving was an act of love — for those around me and for myself.”
Kayla also said she was focused on "living with transparency and authenticity has been how I have grown into the person I am today, and I’ll continue to do so — while also protecting the parts of this journey that are private and unfolding in uncharted territory."
In September, People also reported that in court documents related to the divorce, Kayla accused Ryan of using drugs around at least two of their children. “Shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children because [Ryan] has a history of substance abuse and, upon information and belief, he is still abusing illegal controlled substances,” she wrote.
Ryan denied Kayla' allegations. "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," he said in a statement shared with the outlet. "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."
Ryan Lochte recently moved in with his girlfriend
In January Ryan announced he'd moved in with his girlfriend, Molly Gillihan. “Everything I’ve done over the last 10 months has been about my kids and becoming the best father I can be for them,” Lochte told People at the time. “That meant doing the work — going to rehab, rededicating my life to Christ, going to therapy and making changes that put my children first.”
In July 2025 Ryan told the Daily Mailhe met Gillihan at the school their children all attend in Gainesville, Florida. He also denied rumors that he and Gillihan engaged in a relationship while he was still married to Kayla.
“We got a divorce and I left. I moved down the street because I wanted to be in my kids’ lives and I will always be in my kids’ lives," Ryan told the outlet. "There was no infidelity with Molly, like nothing. Molly didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t pursue me, I pursued her. It was after I got served with the divorce papers. I was out of the house and living by myself. It was all after the fact.”
Related: Olympic Swimmer’s Messy Divorce Exposes the Depth of the ‘Betrayal'