Ryan Lochte revealed he checked himself into in rehab after his estranged wife accused him of doing drugs in front of their kids.
“I wanted to share some positive updates in my life and what’s going on,” the 12-time Olympic medalist told his one million Instagram followers over the weekend.
“I’m so happy right now, and the big reason is that I’m 54 days sober. Yes!”
The 41-year-old went on to admit that after his 2023 accident, he “fell into a dark place: depression, loneliness and feeling like I was giving up in life, which led me down a road of substance abuse.”
“But with everything going on in my life, I need to make a drastic change. I checked myself into a Florida recovery center. The staff has been incredible. They helped me realize substance abuse isn’t a solution. It’s just a distraction that makes things worse,” Lochte continued, adding that he feels “much better, thinking clearly, motivated and moving forward.”
His revelation came a week after his estranged wife, Kayla Lochte, accused him of inhaling nitrous oxide in front of one of their kids.
In an attempt to obtain sole physical custody of their three kids, she claimed in court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, “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.”
The former couple shares kids Caiden, 8, Liv, 6, and Georgia, 2.
Kayla, 34, claimed she found “mostly empty baggies of cocaine around the marital home as [Ryan] had consumed the majority of the contents before the baggies were discovered.”
The Florida-based realtor further alleged in the documents that she found the empty bags in several locations of their home, including one of their kids’ bedrooms, underneath a dining room table and on one of the kids’ bathroom counters.
Kayla also alleged that Ryan would often “doze off during the day,” including after he dropped off the kids at school.
“Upon his return home, [Kayla] would find him passed out in the driver’s seat, with the car still on and the music blaring,” the docs read.
“[Ryan] has also fallen asleep while being the only adult watching the children because [Kayla] was working out of town.”
Kayla also claimed she caught her ex “inhaling nitrous oxide in front of” one of their kids while they “were in the garage with him” and had allegedly “driven the children to school while intoxicated.”
Additionally, the mom of three alleged Ryan recently failed two drug tests.
“[Ryan’s] recurring and repeated irresponsible behavior shows he is unfit to exercise shared parental responsibility, and it would [be] a detriment to the minor children to award the same,” Kayla’s filing read.
In a statement to Us Weekly, Ryan admitted to having issues with drug usage but denied ever consuming in front of their kids.
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“After my car accident in 2023, I fell into a cycle of depression that led to substance abuse. 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 told 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,” the former athlete added.
“I have tried desperately to keep these divorce proceedings private and sealed, not to protect myself, but to protect my children from fabricated allegations that could hurt them. Unfortunately, despite that effort, my ex-wife chose to make this matter public, knowing I was already in intensive rehab.”
Ryan said that he was “extremely sorry for hurting or disappointing anyone along the way,” but is now focused “on my recovery, on being the best father I can be, and on moving forward in a way that keeps my kids safe, supported, and loved.”
Page Six has reached out to Ryan’s rep for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Kayla filed for divorce on March 26 after seven years of marriage, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
A month after the filing, she hinted at “betrayal” as news of their staggering six-figure debt made headlines.
They tied the knot in 2018 during a private ceremony at their home in Florida before hosting a larger gathering in Palm Springs, Calif., that September.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
