Ryan Lochte reveals he was dressed in rehabilitation after accusing his estranged wife of doing drugs in front of her children.
“I wanted to share some positive updates about my life and what’s going on,” the 12-time Olympic medalist told 1 million Instagram followers over the weekend.
“I’m so happy right now. The big reason is that I’m cute for 54 days. Yes!”
The 41-year-old admitted that after the 2023 accident, he “falls in the dark: depression, loneliness, feeling like I’m giving up on life, and going on the path of substance abuse.”
“But everything is happening in my life, so I need to make a dramatic change. I checked myself at a recovery center in Florida. The staff were incredible. They helped me realize that substance abuse was not the solution.
His revelation came a week after his estranged wife, Kayla Lochte, accused him of inhaling nitrous oxide in front of one of his children.
To obtain only physical custody of the three children, she argued in court documents obtained weekly by the US on Tuesday:
The former couple shares their children, Kaiden, 8, liv, 6, and Georgia.
Kayla, 34, claimed he found “an almost empty buggy of cocaine around the couple’s house because (Ryan) consumed most of the contents before the buggy was discovered.”
The Florida-based real estate agent further claimed in documents that he found empty bags in several locations in his home, including one of the children’s bedrooms.
Kayla also insisted that he “dozes during the day”, including after Ryan dropped out of his children at school.
“After returning home, (Kayla) realized he had passed away in the driver’s seat.
“(Ryan) fell asleep while (Kayla) was the only adult watching the kids, as he worked in town.”
Kayla also claimed that she was “in the garage with him” and that one of the children “drove the kids to school while they were drunk,” and that she was “inhaling nitrous oxide.”
Additionally, three moms claimed that Ryan’s mother had recently failed two drug tests.
“(Ryan’s) repeated and irresponsible actions show that he is not worthy of exercising shared parental responsibility.
In a statement to US Weekly, Ryan admitted to having drug use issues but denied consuming it in front of children.
“After the car accident in 2023, I was in a cycle of depression that led to substance abuse. I’m not denying using drugs at home, but I’m denying using drugs in front of and around my children.
“Sometimes I’d rest on the track rather than go inside — not because I had a disability, but because my family environment was overwhelming and very toxic, and I needed time to gather myself before I could walk,” the former athlete added.
“I tried desperately to keep these divorce proceedings private and sealed, not to protect myself, but to protect them from forged claims that could hurt them. Unfortunately, despite that effort, my ex-wife chose to make the matter public.
Ryan said “it was very sad to hurt or disappoint someone along the way,” but now he is focused on “my recovery, being the best father I can do, and moving forward as if I were safe, supportive and loved.”
Page 6 contacted Ryan’s representatives for comment but did not immediately respond.
According to court documents obtained by Page 6, Kayla filed for divorce on March 26 after seven years of marriage.
A month after filing, she hinted at “betrayal” as news of their incredible six-figure debt became headlines.
They tied the knot in a private ceremony at their Florida home in 2018, and held a massive gathering in Palm Springs, California that September.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, please call Samhsa’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
