Keeping his distance. Ryan Lochte revealed in a new interview that he has been estranged from his mother, Ileana Lochte, for years.
The competitive swimmer, 36, said on the Wednesday, September 16, episode of the syndicated TV show In Depth With Graham Bensinger that he and his siblings, Kristin, Megan, Devon and Brandon, sided with their mom when she divorced their father, Steven Lochte, in 2011. However, their opinions changed in more recent years.
“We were all against [our dad] just because of everything I was getting feeded [sic] — like, all of this information that I didn’t know if it was true or not,” Ryan recalled. “It was hard for him to tell us the truth just because he cared so much about us. And if he told us the truth on everything, why they got divorced and all this, then we would never speak to him again. But matter of fact, when I found out the truth from him, I almost got up and punched him just because I was pissed. I was angry.”
The 12-time Olympic medalist explained that he and his dad have since put their differences aside and are now “closer than [they’ve] ever been.” He has also built a relationship with his stepmother, Natalie, whom he calls “Mom.”
Later in the interview, Ryan shared the moment that he cut off communication with his biological mom.
“When I told her that she was going to be a grandma and I’m having a kid, she said some very, very hurtful things that kind of ended our relationship,” claimed the athlete, who shares son Caiden, 3, and daughter Liv, 15 months, with wife Kayla Rae Reid. “I don’t know if I really want to put this on [TV]. She just said some things to me and my wife. I mean, I can get over it, but I just want an apology from her. And she said that she’ll never apologize, she has nothing to say sorry for.”
Ryan admitted that he does not “care” about his estrangement from Ileana because he is “happy right now” with Reid, 29, whom he married in January 2018, and their children.
“My job is to protect my family,” he added. “And I will do anything, no matter what, to protect my family. … [Kayla and I] don’t talk about it. It was just something that happened to me and her, and that crushed us. But we moved forward, and we stuck together as a family.”
The Celebrity Big Brother alum went on to call Ileana “stubborn as hell,” saying he does not foresee them making up.
Us Weekly has reached out to Ileana for comment.
