Ryan Lochte Facing Heat After Moving In With New Girlfriend

Ryan Lochte is moving on with his new girlfriend, Molly Gillihan— quite literally. In a new interview, the Olympic gold medalist opened up about his decision to move in with his partner just seven months after his estranged wife, Kayla Lochte, announced she had filed for divorce. However, the reaction to the elite athlete’s latest life update wasn’t pretty, as users slammed the 41-year-old for advancing the relationship too quickly.

Ryan spent much of 2025 in the headlines after battling with his estranged wife, Kayla, over the custody of their children in contentious court documents.

Now, the swimmer is the topic of conversation because of his new move with his girlfriend, Gillihan.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Ryan told the publication that moving in with Gillihan over the new year was “the right next step,” saying he’s spent the “last 10 months” focusing on himself. “That meant doing the work — going to rehab, rededicating my life to Christ, going to therapy and making changes that put my children first.”

“Because of that growth, I’m grateful to now have my kids 50% of the time,” he added.

Ryan also expressed his excitement about his new “blended family,” saying that coming together as one only made sense after realizing they were aligned on what matters most.

“Together, we’re a family of six kids. 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,” he said.

In an Instagram post, Ryan shared images of himself and Gillihan seated on the floor of their new home, both clad in monochromatic sweatsuits.

“Home Sweet Home,” the Olympian captioned the post.

The reaction was anything but sweet, however, as fans flooded the post’s comment section with critical statements.

“You’re moving too fast, Ryan,” a user wrote. “Slow the f down.”

“Are you divorced yet? You’re supposed to upgrade, not settle,” a second person commented.

“Didn’t you guys become a thing like less than a year ago?” another wrote.

A fourth user questioned, “Did your medals pay for it?”

The announcement of Ryan’s new property comes at an interesting time, as the swimmer and his estranged wife were named in a lawsuit filed by the Fletcher Park Owners’ Association, according to The Blast.

The documents state that Ryan and Kayla failed to pay “the assessments of all types, interest, late fees, administrative fees, attorney’s fees, and costs of collections due to [the owner’s associate].”

The association reportedly filed a lien on the pair’s Gainesville, Florida, property for $4,000 in July 2025, but later filed a formal lawsuit after the fees remained unpaid.

Ryan was also the center of attention at the end of 2025 when he revealed he was auctioning three of his gold medals from the 2004, 2008, and 2016 Summer Games. It was later confirmed that Lochte finalized deals for the prized possessions for a hefty $385,520.