Kayla Reid has spoken publicly about her divorce from Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, describing their eight-year marriage as a “ticking time bomb.” In a new PEOPLE interview published after their divorce was finalized, Reid, 35, said she faced repeated infidelity, drug use and lies that slowly changed how she saw their relationship. She also described a difficult final period before filing for divorce in January 2025.
Kayla Reid details Ryan Lochte marriage problems
Reid said she had doubts about the marriage years before it ended, even writing in her journal that it felt like a “ticking time bomb.” She told PEOPLE, “I don’t think it was a love anyone deserved.”The couple met after Lochte contacted her on Instagram in 2016 and married in 2018 after welcoming their first child, Caiden.They later had two more children, Liv and Georgia. Reid said cheating became a serious problem early in the marriage.While she was pregnant with Caiden, she said she received photos showing Lochte close to another woman after he attended a wedding alone.She said he denied cheating, and she believed him at the time. Years later, while pregnant with Georgia, Reid said she found a revealing photo from another woman on Lochte’s phone.She said the discovery left her feeling guilty and ashamed, even though she believed she was the one being hurt.Reid also accused Lochte of using cocaine and nitrous oxide, saying she found evidence of cocaine use in Liv’s bedroom and saw nitrous oxide being used near their children.Lochte has acknowledged past drug use but denied using substances around his children. His recovery also became harder for the family after a 2023 crash left him with a broken femur. Reid said she became his main caregiver and also carried the family’s financial responsibilities.
Ryan Lochte and Kayla Reid divorce battle ends
By January 2025, Reid said she had reached her limit. During a session with their therapist, she asked Lochte to enter a 30-day inpatient rehab program and then take part in marriage counseling.She said he refused, and she filed for divorce. The legal fight continued for more than a year before the divorce was finalized on July 1, 2026. According to TMZ, Reid received primary custody of their three children, while Lochte will pay $1,000 a month in child support.Lochte responded to the PEOPLE report by saying he has accepted responsibility for mistakes from his past and was not ready to be the husband and father his family needed.He also said any discussion about a confidentiality agreement was meant to protect his children, not his reputation. Lochte is now engaged to Molly Gillihan, who said she and the swimmer only reconnected after the divorce proceedings had already started.Reid, meanwhile, is focusing on real estate and her podcast, The Comeback Era. She said she now feels she has another chance at life and love. The settlement also leaves Reid with the Florida home, while Lochte has moved to Missouri for a college coaching job.