Olympics hero Ryan Lochte has revealed he recently went to rehab to deal with a long-term substance abuse problem.
The swimmer, who won six gold medals for the USA across four Olympics, has now been sober for 54 days.
Lochte was thrust back into the spotlight in recent months because of his acrimonious divorce from wife Kayla Rae Reid.
Now he has opened up on his stint in a rehab facility, saying he is ‘so happy’ he admitted himself to the program in Florida.
Speaking on Instagram, the 41-year-old said: ‘I wanted to share some positive updates in my life and what’s going on. I am so happy right now, and the big reason is that I’m 54 days sober.’
Lochte said a near-death car crash in 2023 in Gainesville saw him fall ‘into a really dark place.’ He collided with a garbage truck on his way to collect his three children, Liv Rae, Caiden Zane and Georgia June, from school.
Ryan Lochte, pictured with new girlfriend Molly Gillihan, has revealed he recently went to rehab
Lochte poses with his gold medal from Rio, where he medaled in the 4×200m freestyle relay
While suffering with injuries that took months of recovery, Lochte also admitted he suffered from ‘depression, loneliness, and feeling like I was giving up’ in the aftermath and that ‘led me down a road of substance abuse.’
He added: ‘With everything going on in my life, I needed to make a change, a drastic change. I’m thinking clearly, I’m motivated, and I’m moving forward.’
It comes just months after Lochte’s estranged wife, Kayla, announced she was divorcing the 12-time Olympic medal winner.
Reid announced in June that she had filed for divorce from Lochte in March, after seven years of marriage.
At the time, the former Playboy playmate branded the divorce ‘painful’ and referenced ‘trials we didn’t choose or see coming’, while Lochte said he was ‘deeply grateful for the life we’ve built together’.
Neither revealed exactly what led to their marriage becoming ‘irretrievably broken’.
More to follow.
