Olympic Gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte is taking the relationship with his new girlfriend to the next level.
Lochte, 41, was previously married to former Playboy playmate Kayla Rae Reid before she filed for divorce in March 2025.
Now, Lochte and his new partner – Molly Gillihan – are sharing a new living space and merging their families.
As the six-time Olympic Gold medalist revealed to People, the decision to move in is ‘the right next step.’
‘Everything I’ve done over the last 10 months has been about my kids and becoming the best father I can be for them,’ Lochte told the outlet.
‘That meant doing the work — going to rehab, rededicating my life to Christ, going to therapy and making changes that put my children first.’
US Olympic legend Ryan Lochte has moved into a new home with his new girlfriend
Lochte moved in with partner Molly Gillihan to a new space for their ‘blended family’
He adds, ‘Because of that growth, I’m grateful to now have my kids 50% of the time.’
Lochte and his now-estranged wife share three children: Caiden, 8; Liv, 6; and Georgia, 2.
On Wednesday, the former swimmer shared a pair of photos of himself and Gillihan in their new residence.
‘Home sweet home,’ Lochte wrote next to the images as he and Gillihan laid on the floor of their living room.
Explaining the reason for the new residence, Lochte says that his ‘blended family’ needed more space to grow.
‘I fell in love with someone who shares those same values and who has three children of her own,’ he revealed. ‘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.
‘We needed a bigger home to support our blended family, and we’re focused on creating a loving, stable environment for all of our children.’
In March, Lochte’s ex-wife Kayla filed for divorce alleging he did drugs in front of their kids
Lochte was accused of taking drugs in front of his children, a claim that he denies
The news of the Lochte’s divorce was made public on June 4 when Kayla posted a long message on her Instagram account. In court filings, Kayla alleged that the ex-swimmer used drugs in front of their children.
‘Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,’ she wrote at the time.
‘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 stressed that he did not take drugs in front of his kids, telling People, ‘I am not denying that I used drugs in my home, but I adamantly deny ever using drugs in front of or around my children, and I have never driven them while intoxicated.’
The divorce proceedings have led to Lochte selling off three of his Gold medals earlier this month.
Lochte previously sold six bronze and silver Olympic medals for $166,000 in 2022, but has now rid himself of his 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics ($183K), which he won with Michael Phelps, as well as his 2004 Athens Summer Olympics 4×200-meter relay gold medal ($80K) and 2016 Rio Summer Olympics 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold medal ($122K).
Amid the divorce proceedings, Lochte sold off three of his six Olympic Gold medals
Lochte and Michael Phelps are pictured after the 4x200m relay at the Rio Olympics in 2016
The swimmer issued a statement, saying: ‘I also would like to clarify the selling of my medals. I never swam for the gold medals. My passion has always been about being one of the best swimmers in the world.
‘Those medals? They were just the cherry on top of an incredible journey. With 90 international medals – including Olympics, world championships, Pan Pacs, and Pan Am Games – I’ve been fortunate to achieve more than any swimmer out there.’
During his career in the pool, Lochte picked up six Olympic Gold medals in total, with another six – either silver or bronze – alongside them. Seven of those were individual.
When addressing the sale of his medals, Lochte also delved into his divorce with Reid – admitting his own failures in the marriage but claimed that ‘we didn’t fully know each other.’
‘Navigating personal challenges in public can be incredibly tough, and I am thankful the opportunity to clarify my recent post about my ex-wife.
‘I understand that my words have sparked a lot of backlash, and I want to express that my intention was never to hurt anyone but to share my honest feelings.
Lochte began dating kindergarten teacher Gillihan (pictured) following his divorce
‘There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I’ve chosen to keep private to protect my kids. I recognize that Kayla has shared our wedding vows on her page to highlight the authenticity of what we once had.
‘While I respect that, I still stand by my belief that we didn’t fully know each other, and honestly, I didn’t know myself or who I was. I am very thankful for our three children and the love we shared at that time.
‘Therapy has been a transformative journey for me, helping me uncover insights about myself that I previously overlooked. I’m making a tremendous effort to separate myself from the past, as I’ve truly moved on.
‘I deeply regret any disappointment I’ve caused to those in my life, including the mother of my children. I would be lying if I said I was a good husband, I wasn’t. I’m committed to working on myself every day.’
Lochte is currently attempting to rebrand his image after a career defined by both world records and high-profile scandals.
He is currently penning a tell-all memoir detailing his battles with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the infamous ‘fake robbery’ scandal at the Rio 2016 Games.
The swimmer previously described the aftermath of Rio as his ‘lowest point,’ claiming he turned to substances to cope with the shame.
Pictured: Lochte, his ex-wife Kayla and two of the three children that the former couple share
He has also struggled with the physical and mental fallout of a near-death car crash in 2023, which he says led to a spiral of ‘depression and loneliness.’
Now sober and dating kindergarten teacher Gillihan, Lochte has said that he is focused on his children.
‘There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I’ve chosen to keep private to protect my kids,’ he told his Instagram followers earlier this month.
Moving forward, the Olympian has vowed to keep his previous marriage out of the spotlight to focus on his ‘new purpose’ and religious faith.
