Ryan Lochte has defended himself after attracting criticism for announcing his engagement before his divorce is finalised.
Ryan Lochte responds to engagement backlash
The 41-year-old six-time Olympic gold medal swimmer split from podcaster Kayla Reid in March 2025 after seven years of marriage, and announced his engagement to girlfriend Molly Gilihan last week (19.06.26).
However, the happy news was met with backlash from some, who slammed the sportsman for making the engagement public before his divorce from Kayla was made official.
Ryan responded to the criticism in a statement on his Instagram Stories, as he wrote: “Correction: Apparently I’m not allowed to say I’m divorced until every signature is in place.
“So, while we’ve reached an agreement, the judge hasn’t officially signed off yet.”
He then added: “My mistake for thinking the hard part was over.”
Ryan continued to admit that the response to his engagement to Molly has made the pair realise “this may just be the beginning of a very tough and exhausting road”.
He concluded: “Prayers appreciated while we navigate this new reality. It seems someone wants to make sure this chapter isn’t quite done with me yet.”
Ryan and Molly went Instagram official in July 2025 and moved in together in January 2026.
He shares son Caiden, eight, daughter Liv, six, and daughter Georgia, two, with Kayla Reid, while Molly also has three kids: two daughters, Layla and Maggie, and a son, Oliver, from a previous relationship.
And Ryan admitted he’s excited to officially blend their families together.
He told People: “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.”
Ryan previously insisted that he and Molly – who met at their children’s school – only started dating after Kayla filed for divorce.
He told DailyMail.com: “There was no infidelity with Molly, like nothing. Molly didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t pursue me, I pursued her.
“It was after I got served with the divorce papers. It was all after the fact.”
