Kayla Rae Reid had serious concerns about Ryan Lochte prior to divorcing the Olympian, multiple sources exclusively tell Us Weekly.
“There were trust issues on Kayla’s end,” one insider shares, with a second source claiming, “Ryan betrayed Kayla’s trust in numerous ways.”
Reid, 34, announced on June 4 that she had “made the hard decision” to file for divorce from Lochte, 40, in March after seven years of marriage.
“This has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “I’ve been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds.”
Olympian Ryan Lochte and Estranged Wife Kayla Reid’s Relationship Timeline
Reid continued, “Sometimes we face trials we didn’t choose or see coming. And in those moments, we’re forced to make the hardest decisions to protect our peace, our children, and our future. I’ve come to understand that staying isn’t always the most loving decision someone can make. For me, leaving was an act of love — for those around me and for myself.”
The first insider explains that Reid “stuck it out as long as possible for the sake of their kids,” Caiden, 8, Liv, 6, and Georgia, 2, “but there are only so many times you can repeat the cycle before you have to be selfish and do what’s best for you and your family.”
Lochte and Reid’s relationship was “irreparable” by its end, according to the second source, who claims, “He shattered her heart.” (Adding fuel to the fire, the now-estranged couple are $270,000 in debt.)
Rumors about the cause of Lochte’s separation from Reid have been swirling for weeks, but the swimmer said in a June 18 statement to People that he would not be “replying to allegations made by third parties” in order to “protect” the privacy of their children.
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While the second source notes that Reid is “heartbroken,” she has been “in a good headspace” since leaving Lochte. “She feels she’s getting her independence back and is picking up the pieces,” the source adds. “She knows she will be able to move forward on her own and is being strong in front of their kids.”
Reid’s inner circle has been “rallying around her” too, per the second source, who says the Florida-based real estate agent’s friends check in on her “every day” to make sure she is “staying positive.”
Lochte, for his part, apparently has been leaning on a new woman, Molly Gillihan, to whom he cozied up in photos posted to his Instagram on Sunday, July 6.
Gillihan later defended her new beau, writing on her private account (per TMZ), “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.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Lochte’s lawyers and Reid for comment.
