After weeks of rumors, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is setting the document straight on his sudden divorce from Kayla Rae Reid and his surprising romance with a kindergarten instructor.
The 40-year-old opened up about heartbreak, therapeutic, and the way his new relationship bloomed solely after his marriage ended.
Lochte additionally had a message for the critics.
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Ryan Lochte’s Life With Molly Gillihan
Lochte has formally moved on, and he isn’t hiding it.
The Olympic gold medalist is now courting Molly Gillihan, a 37-year-old kindergarten instructor and mom of three from Gainesville, Florida.
“Molly is true to herself. She has a giant coronary heart. She’s a kindergarten instructor so she has the persistence of a freaking saint,” Lochte advised the Every day Mail. “It is superior being together with her. We’re simply residing our greatest lives and having enjoyable.”
The couple met throughout college drop-offs.
Two of Gillihan’s youngsters attend the identical college as two of Lochte’s kids, Caiden, 8, and Liv, 6.
Lochte was instantly drawn to Gillihan’s heat and calm nature.
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Ryan Lochte Shuts Down Dishonest Rumors
Rumors swirled that Lochte had strayed throughout his marriage, however the swimmer insists these claims could not be farther from the reality.
“There was no infidelity with Molly, like nothing,” Lochte emphasised. “Molly did not do something fallacious. She did not pursue me, I pursued her.”
He pressured that his relationship with Gillihan started after he was served divorce papers, noting, “It was after I bought served with the divorce papers. I used to be out of the home and residing on my own. It was all after the very fact.”
His ex-wife, Kayla Rae Reid, filed for divorce in March, calling their marriage of seven years “irretrievably damaged.”
Whereas she posted cryptic Instagram messages about “trials we did not select or see coming,” Lochte believes the narrative is being twisted.
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“Kayla has blocked me on social media,” he revealed. “She’s the one which needed this divorce within the first place and now she’s enjoying this pity occasion.”
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Molly Gillihan Speaks Out
Gillihan, who finalized her personal divorce final 12 months, stated she wasn’t excited about fame or headlines, simply the person she bought to know.
“He pursued me a while after Kayla served him with divorce papers, and he was residing on his personal,” she stated. “Seeing how nice of a dad he was is what attracted me to him.”
She admitted she does not know a lot about Lochte’s previous in swimming, however his parenting sealed the deal.
“I have no idea a lot about his historical past in swimming, however after I noticed how he was along with his kiddos, I made a decision to provide him an opportunity.”
The pair spent July 4th at Lochte’s brother Devon’s residence in Daytona Seashore, the place Gillihan bonded with the household, together with portray nails with Lochte’s niece, Isla.
“My household loves Molly,” Lochte stated. “We’ve got nothing to cover—why cover happiness?”
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Ryan Lochte Displays On His Previous And Future
Regardless of outward appearances, Lochte says his marriage had been unraveling for years.
“What folks do not actually understand is that me and my ex have not actually been collectively for a really very long time, mainly, since my littlest lady was born, which was round two years in the past,” he shared. “We had been having issues for a very long time, so it was a simple transition for us to divorce and stay our personal lives.”
Nonetheless, he holds no bitterness towards Kayla. He stated, “Kayla is the mom of my kids. I will all the time love her, however I am not in love together with her. I want her one of the best, and I hope she will be able to want one of the best for me, too.”
Lochte, now teaching and specializing in enterprise, stays dedicated to 1 factor above all: his youngsters.
“One factor I can’t do is depart my youngsters,” he vowed. “I will all the time be a part of their lives.”
Lochte Allegedly Struggled With Infidelity
Ryan Lochte’s feedback got here a number of weeks after a household supply advised PEOPLE that the swimmer repeatedly betrayed his ex-wife, Reid, whom he married in 2018, all through their marriage.
The insider claimed, “He is broken a lot of their marriage and he is damaged her coronary heart so many occasions that she does not know if reconciliation is of their future.”
In addition they revealed that Lochte allegedly struggled with infidelity, however Reid selected to not disclose it to guard him.
Based on the supply, Reid protected Lochte’s relationship for years, hoping it could enhance.
“It simply bought so unhealthy that she truly felt like, by leaving, he’ll must be court-mandated to get assist, primarily. And that is all she desires,” the supply stated, “is for him to be wholesome and him to be nicely.”
