Ryan Lochte is responding to his ex-wife Kayla Rae Reid’s claims that he cheated on her during their marriage.
“I absolutely was not unfaithful to my ex-wife,” Lochte, 41, said in a statement to People on Wednesday, March 4. “And I have no excuse but to continue to say I have grown and learned so much from my past and I am working on myself and my character every single day.”
Lochte also slammed Reid, 34, for claiming he was with now-girlfriend Molly Gillihan during the exes’ union.
“I love Molly and the family we have so much and it breaks my heart to see Molly dragged into this because never, not one time, did Molly and I have any sort of inappropriate relationship while I was with Kayla,” the athlete continued. “I reached out to Molly after I was served divorce papers and living on my own.”
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Us Weekly has reached out to Lochte for comment.
Reid made headlines after she referred to Gillihan as Lochte’s “mistress” on the Monday, March 2, episode of her “The Comeback Era” podcast.
“I’m so happy for him. They’ve been happy for a very long time,” Reid claimed. “Very long time. For many years. They go way back.”
Lochte and Reid tied the knot in 2018 after going public with their relationship during the 2016 Summer Olympics. The pair share three children: son Caiden, 8, and daughters Liv, 6, and Georgia, 2.
Last year, Reid filed for divorce from Lochte after seven years of marriage.
“Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,” Kayla wrote via Instagram in June 2025. “I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life. I’ve been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds.”
Lochte broke his silence days later.
“Although this decision hasn’t been easy, I believe it’s the right step toward peace and well-being for us both,” he wrote via Instagram. “I remain committed to healing, growth and coparenting with care and respect as we move forward separately. Thank you to our family and friends for your continued support. It truly means a lot as we begin this new chapter.”
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Earlier this year, Lochte moved in with Gillihan seven months after Reid filed for divorce.
“Home Sweet Home 🏠,” Lochte captioned a January Instagram photo of him and Gillihan lying on the floor of their new space. “#moveinday @mollygilli.”
After sharing his latest life update, Lochte opened up about how he was working on becoming the best version of himself for his kids.
“Everything I’ve done over the last 10 months has been about my kids and becoming the best father I can be for them,” he told People later that month. “That meant doing the work — going to rehab, rededicating my life to Christ, going to therapy and making changes that put my children first. Because of that growth, I’m grateful to now have my kids 50 percent of the time.”
