Ryan Lochte’s Ex Posts Throwback Video Of Him Sobbing At Altar Amid Messy Divorce War

Ryan Lochte's estranged wife, Kayla Lochte, appeared to throw some major shade at him by sharing an emotional video of the Olympian sobbing through his wedding vows during their lavish 2018 ceremony.

The pointed post came just days after the gold medalist announced he is penning a tell-all memoir about his life, including his dramatic fall from grace following the infamous incident at a Rio gas station at the 2016 Summer Games.

While Ryan and Kayla Lochte announced their separation earlier this year, the legal battle has since descended into chaos, with Kayla leveling horrifying allegations against the swimmer amid their increasingly volatile split.

Kayla, 34, uploaded the throwback footage from their 2018 nuptials, featuring the former "Traitors" star tearfully telling his then-bride how grateful he was that she shelved her "own dreams" to support his athletic ambitions.

"Standing by my side during Rio was proof that you love me more than I could ever imagined," he said.

Ryan then referenced the 2016 Olympics scandal, labeling that period "the darkest days of my life" before confessing, "I thank God every day that I have you to pick me up."

He later added in the video that he would always treat Kayla with care and respect and promised to "share" his heart with her and to "be the best husband and father I can be."

"Today, as we continue our story, I am confident that no matter what ups and downs we face, as long as we are together on this journey, and I’m in charge of the directions, we will always make it home," he vowed.

Kayla captioned the video, "Just going to leave this here," adding a single smiley face emoji—a move that appears to be a direct clapback at Ryan following the announcement of his upcoming memoir.

According to The Blast, Ryan said in an Instagram video that he'd decided to write about his life after much "healing and growing." In the clip, he referenced the problems he faced after the Rio Olympics and noted that he was in a very dark place.

He specifically noted the immense pressure he felt when he learned he would be welcoming a child "with someone I barely knew, who constantly reminded me that he would be forever disappointed in the father I had become."

Ryan offered a grim look at his marriage in the announcement video. "[She] who told me I wasn’t strong enough, man enough… just not enough," he revealed before sharing he'd become "depressed to my core."

The Olympian explained that he eventually turned to vices, including "alcohol, drugs, and sleep," to cope with the challenges in his life. "Every day, I woke up to be belittled and reminded of my constant failures, day in and day out, until I was eventually kicked out of our family home."

While the book has no title yet, Ryan shared it's an inside glimpse into "what it was like being Ryan Lochte."

Kayla initially filed for divorce from Ryan on March 26, 2025; however, news of their split didn't surface until June of that year.

The Florida real estate agent and mother of three shared a candid post online about her decision to walk away from her marriage.

"Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection," she wrote online. "I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life. I've been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds."

Meanwhile, social media users reacted strongly to Kayla's post, largely siding with her in the comments section.

"I used to be a big fan of Ryan but I'm so disappointed by his actions and hurtful words towards the mother of his children," one disillusioned fan wrote.

Another wrote, "I unfollowed him after that awful last post of his. To write a book just to drag the mother of his children made me lose any remaining respect I had for him."

A third user delivered a savage blow regarding the book's potential sales: "Even in this economy, nobody is buying that book."