Lawyer Jeff Ostrow reveals the 12-time Olympic medalist has acknowledged he needs professional assistance to overcome his problem and to be the best husband and father he can be.
- Oct 6, 2018
AceShowbiz - Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is turning to professionals for help in overcoming a serious addiction to alcohol.
The embattled athlete reportedly recognised his need for treatment after he was involved in a drunken incident at a hotel in Newport Beach, California early on Thursday, October 04, when he allegedly tried to kick in the door to his own suite.
Police were called to the venue, but no arrests were made, and Lochte was able to make amends with hotel bosses over the damage he apparently caused to the door, reports TMZ.
The incident seems to have served as a wake-up call for Lochte, who is now determined to get sober.
"Ryan has been battling from (sic) alcohol addiction for many years and unfortunately it has become a destructive pattern for him," his lawyer Jeff Ostrow tells the outlet. "He has acknowledged that he needs professional assistance to overcome his problem and will be getting help immediately."
Ostrow adds, "Ryan knows that conquering this disease now is a must for him to avoid making future poor decisions, to be the best husband and father he can be, and if he wants to achieve his goal to return to dominance in the pool in his fifth Olympics in Tokyo in 2020."
The news emerges less than four weeks after Ryan exchanged vows with former Playboy model Kayla Rae Reid in a lavish celebration in California. They had initially wed in a civil ceremony in January, with just Ryan's dad as their witness. The couple shares son Caiden Zane, who was born last year.
Lochte's drinking antics previously hit headlines during a night out at the 2016 Summer Olympics, when he tried to cover the fact he and his teammates had been caught urinating in public at a gas station in Brazil by claiming they had been mugged.
He was only recently allowed to return to official swimming competitions after he was banned from the sport for lying to Brazilian authorities about the incident.
