Molly Gillihan, fiancée of U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, has refuted claims made by Lochte's ex-wife, Kayla Reid, that she was a "home-wrecker" and that she and Lochte were friendly acquaintances prior to their relationship.
In an interview with TMZ, Gillihan stated that she never considered Reid a friend and would not date a married man. "Your home was broken when I met Ryan. He was not living in the home. [Reid] filed for divorce... Reid had kicked him out," Gillihan asserted. She explained that her first date with Lochte was April 10, 2025, after Reid had filed for divorce in March of that year.
Gillihan described her encounters with Reid, stating they met at a party in 2021, where Gillihan shared that she was going through a "brutal divorce." She recalled Reid expressing unhappiness in her marriage to Lochte. Gillihan maintains they only spoke a few times after that initial meeting and never socialized.
According to Gillihan, the period between April and May of 2025 was "messy" because Reid allegedly continued to appear in places where Gillihan was and spoke negatively about Lochte to her. Gillihan expressed regret, stating that if she could redo the situation, she would have "just removed myself from the situation completely."
Gillihan believes Reid's anger stems from Lochte's alleged dishonesty about reaching out to her for a ride home in 2019 while his wife was out of town. Gillihan claimed she responded to Lochte at the time by stating she was "not into married men" and did not speak to him again until April 2025.
Gillihan also stated her belief that Lochte was a "horrible" and "awful" husband to Reid and that their marriage might have ended sooner regardless of her involvement. She feels she has a better relationship with Lochte.
Lochte previously admitted to infidelity during his marriage to Reid and has stated that his relationship with Gillihan was not a factor in their divorce. Lochte and Gillihan, who became engaged in June, have relocated from Gainesville, Florida, to Missouri, where Lochte is coaching college swimming. Reid retains primary custody of their three children: Caiden, Liv, and Georgia.
In a statement to People, Lochte acknowledged past mistakes and his unreadiness to be a husband and father at that point in his life. He expressed gratitude for his children and stated he would not engage in public back-and-forth regarding his divorce or respond to every allegation.