Olympic icon Ryan Lochte has spoken out after his wife of seven years announced she had filed for divorce.
Kayla Reid, the partner of a renowned swimmer who has won a gold medal, has decided to part ways, noting that the choice came after thorough contemplation and prayer.
Lochte also shared a statement of his own as he reacted to the big change.
The swimmer expressed gratitude for the life they had together and the love they hold for their three kids. He mentioned that the past year had been filled with significant changes and that the decision to end the marriage was a tough one.
Despite the difficulty of the decision, he believes that it is a necessary step towards finding peace and ensuring the well-being of both parties. The swimmer reaffirmed his dedication to personal growth, healing, and maintaining a respectful co-parenting relationship as they navigate their separate paths.
‘Thank you to our family and friends for your continued support – it truly means a lot as we begin this new chapter.’
Ryan Lochte’s wife Kayla Reid has filed for divorce after seven years of marriage
Lochte and Reid are said to have met in 2016 before getting engaged that same year
Lochte, seen at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in 2021, is a six-time Olympic gold medalist
For her part, Kayla detailed the ‘painful’ decision to split from Lochte.
‘I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life,’ she said. ‘I’ve been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing – not from fresh, open wounds.’
‘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.’
The couple shares son Caiden, 7, daughter Liv Rae, 5 and nearly two-year-old daughter Georgia.
According to court records cited by People, Kayla filed for divorce on March 26.
Along with the statement she posted to Instagram, Kayla shared a boomerang video of herself gazing into the distance as she sat outside.
She added in her statement: ‘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 an unchartered territory.’
Kayla, who said she filed for divorce in March, was formerly a Playboy Playmate
Lochte and Kayla are seen in a playful TikTok, as he posed in his swimming attire
Kayla, a former Playboy Playmate, concluded her statement by saying she was ‘choosing to give herself grace,’ while asking for support and prayers from her followers.
The couple met in 2016 before getting engaged that same year in the fall.
Lochte and Kayla ultimately got married in 2018, with People reporting at the time that they tied the knot in Palm Springs, California.
The swimmer, who has not formally retired from competitive swimming despite not making the last Olympics, said in 2019 that swimming was his ‘second priority’ behind his family after making a comeback at the sport.
Lochte served a 14-month ban for his use of a prohibited IV infusion, and also spent six weeks in rehab for alcoholism.
The Rochester, New York native decided to get help after an incident at a hotel in California.
In that instance, police were called on Lochte after he tried to kick his door in, though no arrests were made.
His attorney said he had been battling alcohol addiction for ‘many years,’ and Lochte later said his stint in rehab made him a ‘better man.’
‘I’m glad that I went to rehab and got checked out just because it helped me out,’ Lochte said.
‘It helped put things in perspective in my life. What is really more important than going out to a bar and getting hammered or doing anything like that, I go home and I get to play with my kids and kiss and hold my wife. That, to me, is everything.’
He was also thrust into controversy during the 2016 Rio Games, after he claimed that he and three teammates were robbed at gunpoint after a night out.
It was Later revealed that the armed men were actually security guards and several details of Lochte’s story proved to be fabricated. He was ultimately charged with submitting a false report to police, but charges were later dismissed after he apologized.
Ryan and Kayla appeared to be a happy family as they waited for Georgia to arrive in 2023
Kayla, seen in 2016 at Playboy Midsummer Night’s Dream party, was previously a Playboy Playmate
Lochte poses with his gold medal from the 2016 Olympics, where he medaled in the 4×200m freestyle relay
Last year, he also revealed that he was in a severe car accident which left him with serious injuries.
Lochte, 40, shared that he had spent the last 10 months recovering from a crash last November that broke his ‘femur in half.’
He said on the Athletes Only podcast that he crashed into a truck while on his way to pick up his children from school.
The swimmer, who represented Team USA in four Olympics, explained that a trash truck had been parked in the middle of a busy four-lane street with no lights or cones to indicate that it had stopped.
The car in front of Lochte managed to swerve but the athlete wasn’t successful in avoiding the vehicle and ‘ran into the damn thing.’