Ryan Lochte’s Ex-Wife Kayla Alleges He Did Drugs in Front of Their Kids and Drove Them to School Intoxicated

Ryan Lochte’s estranged wife alleged in new court documents filed this week that the U.S. Olympian had used drugs in front of their young children prior to the couple’s divorce, PEOPLE can confirm.

Kayla Reid Lochte’s filing, obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday, Sept. 3, has been temporarily sealed from the public per Ryan’s attorney’s request to the court, and comes amid the 34-year-old mother’s effort to obtain full custody of the couple’s three children.

“Shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children because [Ryan] has a history of substance abuse and, upon information and belief, he is still abusing illegal controlled substances,” Lochte’s estranged wife wrote in the court filing.

Kayla alleged that she had found “mostly empty baggies of cocaine around the marital home as [Ryan] had consumed the majority of the contents before the baggies were discovered.”

Ryan’s wife wrote in the court docs that at times she found empty bags of drugs in one of their children’s bedrooms, on their bathroom counter, and under the family’s dining room table. Kayla wrote that sometimes she’d find the 12-time Olympic medalist “passed out in the driver’s seat [of his car], with the car still on and the music blaring” after driving the kids to school and alleged he would “doze off” throughout the day.

“[Ryan] has also fallen asleep while being the only adult watching the children because [Kayla] was working out of town,” the court docs allege.

At one point, Kayla alleged she found Ryan “inhaling nitrous oxide in front of” one of their children while they “were in the garage with him” and said he allegedly had “driven the children to school while intoxicated.”

“[Ryan’s] recurring and repeated irresponsible behavior shows he is unfit to exercise shared parental responsibility, and it would [be] a detriment to the minor children to award the same,” the court filing reads.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Ryan refuted Kayla’s claims that he did drugs in front of their children.

“I am not denying that I used drugs in my home, but I adamantly deny ever using drugs in front of or around my children, and I have never driven them while intoxicated,” he said. “At times, I would rest in my truck instead of going inside — not because I was impaired, but because the home environment had become overwhelming and very toxic and I needed a moment to collect myself before walking in.”

US Weekly was first to report the news.

On Friday, Aug. 29, Ryan shared that he had completed a rehab program for “substance abuse” and was 54 days sober. In his statement to PEOPLE, he reiterated that he has been sober for “more than 50 days” and added, “I feel better and happier than I have in years.”

Ryan Lochte, Kayla Reid Lochte, and their three children. Credit: Ryan Lochte/Instagram

Ryan’s past substance abuse will likely factor “significantly” in custody hearings, Richard Sullivan, a lawyer with Sullivan Law & Associates who is not involved in the case, tells PEOPLE.

“A parent’s history of substance abuse can tip the balance significantly,” Sullivan says. “Courts want to see that the children will be in a safe, stable environment, so if drug use is involved, it often becomes the central factor in deciding whether relocation is granted or denied.”

Kayla filed for divorce in late March, confirming in a June 4 social media post that she had “made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection.”

“I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life,” Lochte’s estranged wife wrote on Instagram. “I’ve been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds.”

The Olympian and his wife share three children, son Caiden Zane, 8, and daughters Liv Rae, 6, and Georgia June, 2.Ryan Lochte in 2019. Credit: Harry How/Getty

Lochte first met his wife the same year as the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and confirmed they were dating shortly after that year’s Summer Games. The 12-time Olympic medalist in swimming later proposed to his wife in October 2016 before the couple welcomed their first son Caiden a year later. They married in 2018.

After the divorce, Lochte explained that a near-fatal 2023 car accident had greatly impacted his life, leading him into “depression” and later substance abuse.

“One year ago, my life changed forever,” Ryan wrote in an emotional 2024 post about the car accident, which left him with multiple injuries, including a broken femur and abrasions on his forehead. “A car accident nearly took everything from me — and for a long time, it felt like it had. I struggled to find myself again, sinking back into depression and doubting my worth as a father, a husband, and the person I knew I could be.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.