Let's Take a Look Back at Ryan Lochte and Kayla Reid's Ill-Fated Relationship Timeline
The Lochtes have chosen to swim, not sink.
Published June 6 2025, 9:17 a.m. ET
It's the end of a somewhat brief era for controversial Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and his wife, former Playboy model Kayla Reid. The kind of power couple have decided to go their separate ways after a nine-year relationship, seven of which were spent legally wed. In court documents obtained by TMZ, Kayla described their marriage as "irretrievably broken."
Some might argue that being a couple for nearly a decade is not in fact a short relationship, but what if that couple got engaged the same year they met? Moving quickly is kind of their thing as Ryan and Kayla welcomed their first child a year after they met. Let's take a look back at how it all began.
Ryan Lochte and Kayla Reid's relationship timeline began in 2016.
According to People, Ryan and Kayla were spotted cozying up together in August 2016 during the Summer Olympics. By that time, rumors were already swirling about a love connection after they posted an adorable photo to Instagram in April 2016 where Ryan was kissing Kayla's cheek. Fast forward two months later to Kayla posting a video of Ryan helping her box while she giggled. By October 2016, they were engaged.
Before they could head down the aisle, Kayla gave birth to their son, Caiden Zane Lochte, on June 8, 2017, per Us Weekly. A little over a year later, Ryan and Kayla held a formal wedding ceremony in Palm Springs, Calif. in September 2018. They told People they knew there was something going on as early as their first date. "We talked for eight to 10 hours about everything and honestly the next day we started dating,” recalled Lochte.
Nine months later, Ryan and Kayla welcomed their daughter Liv Rae Lochte into the world. "She is perfect in every way," wrote Ryan in an Instagram post dated June 17, 2019. The couple had Georgia Lochte in June 2023. They sure do love a June birthday! The couple split two years later.
Ryan Lochte responds to the public divorce news.
Kayla broke the divorce news first in an Instagram post dated June 4, 2025, stating she made this decision earlier on in the year. She doesn't explain why but rather describes the experience as one of the most "painful, revealing, and challenging seasons" of her life. "For me, leaving was an act of love," wrote Kayla. The former model promised to live authentically while putting her faith in God.
That same day, Ryan shared his thoughts via an Instagram post. First, he acknowledged what Kayla shared, then went on to say that as a couple they lived through a lot of changes in the past year. The decision to end their marriage was difficult, but Ryan was grateful for the life they built together and the children they share.