Olympic Swimmer Announces Rehab Stint, Sobriety

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is opening up about his latest battle with substance abuse. In a video posted Friday to Instagram, Lochte, 41, revealed he'd completed a rehab program and is now 54 days sober. The swimmer said his road to recovery began after a 2023 car accident left him in a "really dark place," grappling with depression and loneliness.

• Lochte described rehab as a turning point, crediting supportive staff for helping him realize that "substance abuse isn't a solution, it's just a distraction that makes things worse." He acknowledged the stigma attached to substance abuse but emphasized the importance of resilience, saying, "It's not how you get knocked out, it's how you get up and keep moving forward."

• Lochte is also navigating personal upheaval. His wife, Kayla, confirmed in June that she'd filed for divorce in March, after seven years of marriage, per People. In her announcement, she spoke of making the "hard decision" to end their relationship for the well-being of herself and their three young children. In response, Lochte expressed gratitude for their shared life and commitment to co-parenting.
• This isn't the first time Lochte has sought help for alcohol issues—he previously entered treatment in 2018 and spoke publicly about his challenges. Last month, his estranged ex filed court documents seeking sole physical custody of their kids, claiming Lochte had inhaled nitrous oxide in front of one of them, and that she'd found cocaine baggies around their home, per Us Weekly.
• Lochte has denied those allegations. "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 says in a statement. He adds, "Unfortunately ... my ex-wife chose to make this matter public, knowing I was already in intensive rehab."
• The US Sun says it's seen a report from the Florida Highway Patrol indicating Lochte has been charged with an Aug. 2 hit-and-run, in which he's alleged to have slammed into a street sign, a pedestrian signal, and a couple of utility poles. Lochte eventually returned to the scene and said he'd lost control of his truck and had swerved to avoid a collision, per the report, which notes it was rainy and slick that evening.