Here's What Happened to Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Lochte

Fans of former professional swimmer Ryan Lochte want to know what happened after he announced that he was selling several of his Olympic medals. Ryan won a total of 12 medals at several Olympic Games — including 6 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals — at the 2004, 2008, and 2016 Olympics.

Ryan told People that he was auctioning off several of his medals to "give back."

"I’m passing them on so they can help inspire and empower others," he said. "If these medals can give someone hope, fuel their dreams, or help them reach their full potential, then this is the greatest way I can give back." So, what happened?

Ryan is reportedly going through a breakup with his wife of seven years, Kayla Reid Lochte. The couple shares three young children — Caiden, Liv, and Georgia — and the former Olympian said that he'd been kicked out of the family home. He also admitted to not being a good husband, and he shared his feelings in several Instagram posts in December 2025.

"Every day, I woke up to be belittled and reminded of my constant failures, day in and day out," he wrote on Instagram, adding that he married someone he barely knew. "I was eventually kicked out of our family home."

After his wife posted a video from the couple's wedding day with the caption, “Sharing a special reminder," Ryan shared more of his feelings on Instagram on Dec. 18.

"Navigating personal challenges in public can be incredibly tough," he wrote, in part.

"There's a lot happening behind the scenes that I've chosen to keep private to protect my kids,” he said. “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.”

The 2016 Rio Olympics scandal is known as "Lochtegate." It all went down after Ryan and three of his teammates lied about being robbed at gunpoint while in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the Olympics. The four were actually intoxicated and had vandalized a gas station bathroom. They lied about being robbed to avoid trouble and to cover up his childish behavior, but the police found security footage showing Ryan and his three friends caused damage, and he was charged with falsely reporting a crime.

Ryan was suspended by the Olympic Committee and USA Swimming for 10 months and sentenced to 20 hours of community service. He later offered an apology on Instagram.

"I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend," he wrote. "For not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics."

"I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself, and for that am sorry to my teammates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors, and the hosts of this great event," he added. "I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided. I accept responsibility."