Ryan Lochte's fiancée, Molly Gillihan, has publicly denied accusations of being a "home-wrecker" and refuted claims of a prior friendship with Lochte's ex-wife, Kayla Reid. The exchange comes after Reid made several allegations against Lochte and Gillihan in a recent interview following the finalization of her seven-year marriage to the Olympic swimmer.
Gillihan stated in an interview with TMZ that she never considered Reid a friend and would not date a friend's husband. "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 said, asserting that Reid's home was already in disarray before she met Lochte.
Lochte and Gillihan, a kindergarten teacher, announced their engagement in June. The couple has relocated to Missouri, where Lochte has taken a job in college swimming. Lochte told People magazine at the time of his engagement that he was "moving on with my life to bigger and better things, especially marrying Molly."
Reid, who retains primary custody of the couple's three children—Caiden, 9, Liv, 7, and Georgia, 3—accused Lochte of infidelity and alleged substance abuse within their household. She claimed to have found evidence of cocaine use in their daughter's bedroom and nitrous oxide use in front of their children. Reid stated she issued an ultimatum in January 2025, demanding Lochte enter a 30-day inpatient rehabilitation facility and complete marriage counseling, which he reportedly refused.
Lochte has previously admitted to substance use but has denied using substances in front of his children. In a statement to People, Lochte acknowledged past mistakes and stated, "Looking back, I wasn't ready to be a husband or the man my family deserved at that point in my life. That's on me." He added, "I'm not going to engage in a back-and-forth about my divorce or respond to every allegation or characterization."
Gillihan said her first date with Lochte was April 10, 2025, after Reid had filed for divorce the previous March. She described the situation as having become "messy" because Reid allegedly "kept coming around" and speaking negatively about Lochte to her. Gillihan expressed regret, stating, "If I could do it again I would've just removed myself from the situation completely."
Lochte himself told the Daily Mail that there was "no infidelity" and "Molly didn't do anything wrong."