NEED TO KNOW
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Ryan Lochte thanked his friends and family for their support amid his divorce from wife Kayla
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The Olympian said he had a “rough day” but will continue “to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward”
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Kayla confirmed the divorce in a post on Instagram on Wednesday, June 4
Ryan Lochte is grateful for the people in his life as he navigates the end of his marriage.
In a video message shared on his Instagram Stories on Thursday, June 5, the 40-year-old Olympian thanked his friends and family who reached out after his estranged wife Kayla publicly shared her decision to “end” their marriage a day earlier.
“Just wanna say thank you to everyone that wrote a message, reached out to me,” Lochte said in his Stories, while in the car with his daughter Liv Rae and son Caiden Zane. “Just open arms. It means a lot to me. Yesterday was a rough day for me, but, like always in life, you’ve got to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.”
Lochte continued, saying, “And thats what I’m doing. To my second family that sent me this beautiful card, and a basket full of candy that now my son is eating,” before Caiden jumped into the video to show a box of Whoppers.
“Thank you guys, I love you guys.” Lochte said before ending his video. The swimmer added, “Love y’all,” in text over the video.
Kayla, who shares Caiden, who turns 8 on June 8, as well as daughters Liv Rae (who turns 6 on June 17) and Georgia June, (who turns 2 on June 22) with Lochte, confirmed she’s divorcing her husband of seven years in an Instagram post on Wednesday, June 4. “Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,” Kayla began in her statement.
“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.”
Kayla said she wants to continue “living with transparency and authenticity,” but also noted that she wants to protect “the parts of this journey that are private and unfolding in uncharted territory.”
Court records obtained by PEOPLE show that Kayla filed for divorce on March 26.
Lochte addressed the split after Kayla shared her post on Instagram, writing, “I want to take a moment to acknowledge what Kayla shared. This past year has brought major changes for both of us as we’ve come to the difficult decision to end our marriage. I’m deeply grateful for the life we’ve built together and especially for the love we share for our three children.”
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Lochte said the decision “hasn’t been easy” but he believes it’s “the right step toward peace and well-being for us both.”
“I remain committed to healing, growth, and co-parenting with care and respect as we move forward separately,” Lochte added. “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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The post Ryan Lochte Says Having His Divorce News Go Public Was ‘Rough’ After Wife Kayla Announces ‘End’ of Their Marriage appeared first on People.
