Ryan Lochte reveals how he met new girlfriend after drama with ex
Ryan Lochte said he has “nothing to hide” while addressing speculation that he was unfaithful to his estranged wife, former “Playboy” model Kayla Rae Reid, with his new girlfriend, Molly Gillihan.
During an interview with the Daily Mail, the retired Olympic swimmer explained that he and Gillihan, a 37-year-old mom of three, fell for each other at their kids’ school in Gainesville, Fla., and that his ex is seeking pity after she filed for divorce in March.
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“Kayla has blocked me on social media,” Lochte, 40, said. “She’s the one that wanted this divorce in the first place and now she’s playing this pity part. I want people to understand that Molly didn’t take me away from my ex-wife. She didn’t take me away from my kids.
“We got a divorce and I left. I moved down the street because I wanted to be in my kids’ lives and I will always be in my kids’ lives. There was no infidelity with Molly, like nothing. Molly didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t pursue me, I pursued her. It was after I got served with the divorce papers. I was out of the house and living by myself. It was all after the fact.”
Last month, Reid explained in a note on her Instagram Story that her seven-year marriage to Lochte was “irretrievably broken.”
They share three children: son Caiden Zane, 8, and daughters Liv Rae, 7, and Georgia June, 2.
Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima
Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist and now full-time coach, claimed he and Reid hadn’t been together for almost two years when she revealed their divorce last month.
“What people don’t really realize is that me and my ex haven’t really been together for a very long time, basically, since my littlest girl was born, which was around two years ago,” he said. “We had been having complications for a long time so it was an easy transition for us to divorce and live our own lives.
“Kayla is the mother of my children. I’ll always love her but I’m not in love with her. I wish her the best and I hope she can wish the best for me too. One thing I will not do is leave my kids and I’ll always be part of their lives.”
Lochte went on to gush over Gillihan, adding his family loves her.
“Molly is true to herself. She has a big heart,” he said. “She’s a kindergarten teacher so she has the patience of a freaking saint. It’s awesome being with her. We’re just living our best lives and having fun.
“… We have nothing to hide — why hide happiness? I’m just in a new projection and a new chapter of my life that is going to be amazing and I’m excited for it.”
For Gillihan, the feeling is mutual.
“I’m extremely happy with Ryan,” she told the Daily Mail. “He pursued me some time after Kayla served him with divorce papers and he was living on his own.”
“Seeing how great of a dad he was is what attracted me to him. I do not know much about his history in swimming but when I saw how he was with his kiddos I decided to give him a chance.”
Molly said her divorce from a Missouri doctor was finalized last year.
Lochte and Gillihan spent the Fourth of July weekend with his family at the Daytona Beach home of his brother, Devon Lochte, as seen in photos posted to his Instagram.
The couple was pictured with Devon and his wife, Courtney, in one snapshot, and another image showed Gillihan and his mother, Ileana Lochte, smiling together.
Taking to her Instagram, Gillihan seemingly responded to a message Reid previously shared about how “betrayal” can lead to a “breakthrough.”
On Monday, Gillihan wrote on Instagram, “It’s okay to be so happy that your heart could explode out of your chest and you want to shout it from the rooftops. If you’ve felt it, you know this to be true.
“We would not be here if we had anything to hide or if there had been any betrayal that occurred along the way. This little goofball came into my life patiently, sincerely, and honestly. I am choosing him. ♥️ @ryanlochte.”
Reid supported Lochte after he was involved in a life-threatening car accident last year and sustained a broken femur.
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