Who Is Ryan Lochte's Wife Kayla Rae Reid?
On Oct. 10, 2016, Ryan Lochte's 25-year-old girlfriend, Kayla Rae Reid, confirmed on Instagram that the happy couple was engaged less than a year after first meeting. As Lochte, 32, basks in the first bit of good news he's had since he got caught lying about a robbery at the Olympic Games in Rio, let's get to know the woman who unexpectedly won over his heart.
She's been dating Lochte for less than a year
According to USA Today, Lochte first met Reid on Jan. 22, 2016, at the Hollywood nightclub Bootsy Bellows. Their connection was brief; friends reportedly pulled Lochte away from Reid after they clasped hands. He messaged her on Instagram shortly thereafter. "I was just like in awe when I saw you," he remembers writing. "I didn't want to let go." The couple reportedly began dating three days later.
But wait—was Tinder involved?
Speaking to the Daily Mail in August 2016, Reid implied that her relationship with Lochte actually began on the dating app Tinder. "He was on Tinder. I might be on Tinder," she said with a smile. "That's all I'm going to say about it."
Lochte confirmed his Tinder involvement in an interview with GQ magazine published six months after the pair met. "I just recently signed up for Tinder...I heard going back to the Sochi Olympics the athletes were using Tinder in the Village and everything, so I started using that," he said. "So we'll just have to wait and see." Um, here's hoping Reid didn't read that interview.
She's from Virginia
Reid was born in Fairfax, Va. in July 1995, and according to an interview with Playboy Plus, she moved to Palm Springs, Calif. at age 10. "I have both sides to me," she said. "I'm half East Coast, half West Coast. So, I'm a big circle." Oh, and speaking of Playboy...
Yep, she modeled for Playboy
Reid made quite the name for herself when Playboy magazine named her Miss July 2015. In an accompanying interview for the photoshoot, Reid gave a bit of insight into some of her favorite activities and hobbies. "I love to cook. Love it. I love to make dessert," she said. "I like to be outdoors. Sunshine, summertime—[that's] my thing. Cocktails, pool—love it. Friends, family—awesome. Anything social. And, anything active. I love to workout. I love to eat healthy. I love to watch weird documentaries and learn about crazy things."
Oh yeah, and she loves outer space. "NASA. Like, astronaut...It excites me," she said. "I want to take the trip to Mars. I could be the first Playmate in outer space. And I would do it, I think."
In addition to being a model, the Daily Mail adds that Reid is also a "host" and "social media ambassador."
She stood by him during his Rio robbery scandal
As most people know by now, Lochte's professional swimming career practically fell apart during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when his story about getting robbed at gunpoint turned out to be a big, fat lie. Fortunately for him, his relationship endured, due in great part to Reid's loyal support. "I will always support him no matter what," she said in video footage obtained by the Daily Mail in August 2016.
Reid's enduring affection also played a key role after protesters stormed the stage during Lochte's Dancing With the Stars debut in September 2016. "She's definitely just been so supportive," Lochte said of Reid (via People magazine). Lochte later told USA Today that he knew Reid was "the one" when she stuck by him through the scandal. "She still loves me and she's still right there with me," he said.
She already lives with him
Speaking to People in September 2016, Lochte revealed that he and Reid were living together after dating for about eight months. The following month, Lochte told USA Today he was ready to pop the question.
Perhaps understandably, the fast-paced nature of their relationship has raised a few red flags with members of Lochte's family. "My family says, 'Don't you think it's a little too soon?'" he told USA Today while discussing the idea of proposing. "I'm like, 'Can you put a time on love? Can you?'" We're not gonna answer that one.
She's been a stabilizing presence
Even before his relationship with Reid was confirmed, Lochte confessed to Us Weekly in March 2016 that he was dating someone who had brought "stability to his life. "It is nice..." he told the magazine. "It's also really nice having someone who isn't all into swimming and doesn't really know much."
It was love at first sight
For a relationship that has moved this quickly, it should come as no surprise that Lochte considers his connection to Reid love at first sight. "From the very first time I met her, everything has like clicked,” he told USA Today. "That's why I know I can propose to her because everything that's happened and she's been keeping me so positive. She doesn't care about my fame. She doesn't care about anything. All she cares about is me being happy." As Lochte himself might say: Jeah!