Outline:
Ryan Lochte’s New Chapter: Moving In With His Girlfriend and Her Children
Ryan Lochte, the 12-time Olympic medalist, has taken a significant step in his personal life by moving in with his new girlfriend and her three children just nine months after filing for divorce from his estranged wife, Kayla Reid. The former swimmer shared that this move was “the right next step” following his split with Reid, with whom he had a seven-year marriage and three children: Caiden, 8, Liv, 6, and Georgia, 2.
“I fell in love with someone who shares those same values and who has three children of her own,” Lochte told People on Thursday. “Together, we’re a family of six kids. She’s my best friend, our kids have formed an incredible bond, and it became clear that being together under one roof was the right next step for all of us.”
Lochte emphasized the need for a larger home to support their blended family, focusing on creating a loving and stable environment for all the children. He also highlighted the changes he has made over the past 10 months, including going to rehab, rededicating his life to Christ, and attending therapy. “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 said. “That meant doing the work — going to rehab, rededicating my life to Christ, going to therapy and making changes that put my children first.”
The swimmer also shared two photos of himself and his girlfriend, Molly Gillihan, inside their new residence via Instagram on Wednesday. “Home Sweet Home #moveinday,” he captioned the snaps. The pair have been romantically linked since July when Lochte posted a picture of them hugging on Instagram.
More cozy pictures showed Gillihan putting her arm across his chest, as well as the two laughing together and cuddling on the couch as they celebrated the Fourth of July. Lochte, 41, shared the snaps just one month after Reid, 33, announced their split in a lengthy Instagram post.
“I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,” she began. “I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life.” Reid explained that she took time to address the split so it could come “from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds.”
Reid concluded that she was choosing to give herself “grace,” and choose “resilience” as she moved “in uncharted territory.” She filed for divorce on March 26, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
Since going public with their split, Reid has hinted at a “betrayal” in their marriage and also accused Lochte of inhaling nitrous oxide in front of one of their kids. “Shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children because [Ryan] has a history of substance abuse and, upon information and belief, he is still abusing illegal controlled substances,” she claimed in court documents obtained by Us Weekly in an attempt to obtain sole physical custody of their kids.
Reid also claimed she found “mostly empty baggies of cocaine around the marital home” and that Lochte often “doze off during the day” due to his alleged drug use. In a statement to Us Weekly, Ryan admitted to having issues with drug usage but denied ever consuming in front of their kids.
One week after Reid’s claims, Lochte revealed he had checked himself into rehab. “I wanted to share some positive updates in my life and what’s going on,” Lochte told his Instagram followers in September 2025. “I’m so happy right now, and the big reason is that I’m 54 days sober. Yes!”