Kayla Rae Reid hints Ryan Lochte cheated with current girlfriend, and he denies overlap

When a public breakup gets messy, it can feel like everyone is watching and nobody really knows the full story. That is the vibe around Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and his estranged wife, Kayla Rae Reid, after Reid opened up on her podcast about what she says happened during their marriage.

It is emotional, personal, and familiar to a lot of people who have been through trust issues and divorce.

What Kayla Rae Reid shared on her podcast

On the Monday, March 2, episode of her podcast, The Comeback Era with Caroline and Kayla, Reid talked about dating again and why it is hard to even consider. Her co-host, Caroline Lunny, brought up Lochte’s current relationship and accidentally used a word that made the tension obvious.

“Well, your technically still-husband is already living with his girlfriend,” Lunny said, after she slipped and called Lochte’s current girlfriend, Molly Gillihan, his “mistress.” Reid did not sound bitter in response. She leaned into acceptance, while also suggesting this relationship has been around longer than people realize.

Reid said she’s “so happy for” her ex and added, “They’ve been happy for a very long time. A very long time, for many years. They go way back.” Still, Reid made it clear that her experience in the marriage left a mark. She connected her reluctance to date directly to alleged infidelity.

Reid recalls repeated betrayal during marriage

Her co-host summed up what Reid has said in the past with a blunt line, “Sadly, it happened a lot,” Reid said of her ex’s alleged infidelity. Then Reid explained what it was like to be on the receiving end of messages from other women. “Obviously, there were a lot of women,” Reid continued, “in the DMs, like, showing me.”

According to Reid, women sent her evidence of Lochte messaging them, and she said that “sadly, it happened a lot,” mostly when she was pregnant or postpartum. Lunny reacted in a way that many listeners probably did. “That makes me so mad,” Lunny said, noting that the months after welcoming a baby should be “a magical, beautiful bonding time in a relationship.”

Reid described postpartum life in plain, raw terms that are hard to forget. Reid said she was “at such a vulnerable place” postpartum. “You feel so uncomfortable in your own body, you feel like just a whale, and you’re out of breath, and you just want to feel beautiful and loved and catered to, and it’s like he was fishing elsewhere.”

Ryan Lochte’s response and what he denies

After Reid’s comments made headlines, Lochte responded to PEOPLE on Wednesday, March 4. He did not claim he was perfect. He admitted he was not faithful. But he strongly denied Reid’s implied claim that he cheated with his current girlfriend while still married.

Lochte said, “I absolutely was not faithful to my ex-wife. 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.”

Then he drew a firm line around the timeline of his relationship with Gillihan. “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. I reached out to Molly after I was served divorce papers and was living on my own.”

Fun fact: Ryan Lochte won 12 Olympic medals across multiple Games, making him one of the most decorated swimmers in history.

Why the postpartum part hits so hard

Even without knowing every detail, the postpartum piece is what makes this story feel especially heavy. That season is already intense. You are exhausted. You are recovering. You are adjusting to a new identity and a new body. So when a partner is unfaithful during that time, it can mess with your confidence in a deep way.

Reid’s description captures something a lot of women recognize but rarely say out loud. Wanting to feel loved is not asking for too much. Wanting to feel chosen is not being needy. And when trust breaks during pregnancy or postpartum, dating later can feel like walking back into the same fire.

That is why Reid said it made her “afraid of dating.” It is not just about moving on. It is about trying to believe that someone new will treat you differently.

Little-known fact: USADA announced in July 2018 that Lochte accepted a 14-month sanction for a prohibited IV method after receiving an intravenous infusion of permitted substances above the allowed volume without a Therapeutic Use Exemption.

Where the divorce stands now

Reid filed for divorce from Lochte on March 26, 2025, and shared the split publicly in June through an Instagram post. Her words focused on faith, grief, and protecting her kids. The couple shares son Caiden Zane, 8, and daughters Liv Rae, 6, and Georgia June, 2.

Reid wrote, “Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,” and added, “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.”

She also explained why leaving can be an act of care, not just conflict. “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 the understanding 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.”

Lochte shared his own statement last year after the divorce became public. He said, “This past year has brought major changes for both of us as we’ve come to the difficult decision to end our marriage.”

The bigger takeaway

This is not just a celebrity split story. It is also a reminder that healing is rarely neat. Reid is talking about pain and trying to date again. Lochte is admitting wrongdoing while pushing back on a specific allegation. And in the middle are kids and a future that still requires communication.

If there is one hopeful thread here, it is that both are using words like healing, growth, and peace. That does not erase what happened. But it does suggest they are trying to build something healthier on the other side.

TL;DR

• Kayla Rae Reid discussed her dating life on her podcast, The Comeback Era with Caroline and Kayla, and said her past makes her afraid of dating.
• Reid implied Ryan Lochte cheated during their seven-year marriage and suggested it happened often, especially while she was pregnant or postpartum.
• Reid said women messaged her directly with alleged evidence of Lochte contacting them.
• Reid described postpartum as a vulnerable time and said the alleged behavior made her feel unloved and insecure.
• Co-host Caroline Lunny reacted strongly, saying postpartum should be a magical bonding time.
• Reid said she cried watching Khloe Kardashian discuss infidelity on The Kardashians because it felt deeply relatable.
• Lochte told PEOPLE he was not faithful in the marriage but denied cheating with his current girlfriend, Molly Gillihan, during the marriage.
• Lochte said his relationship with Gillihan began after he and Reid separated and asked that she not be dragged into it.
• Reid filed for divorce on March 26, 2025 and later shared a public statement about leaving to protect peace, her children, and her future.
• Lochte previously said the divorce was a difficult decision and that he is committed to healing and respectful co-parenting.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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