Ryan Lochte has looked for love in the public spotlight before, but at the Olympic Games, the disgraced U.S. swimmer was forced to carry on the facade he was single and in fact, ready to mingle.
In a profile from New York Magazine‘s Jessica Pressler, the “Jeah” enthusiast admitted despite being in a relationship with now fiancee Kayla Rae Reid, he was under contractual obligation to pretend to be single, even so far as pretending to Tinder.
“The couple have been together ten months, which may come as a surprise to those who saw Lochte on the Today show in August talking about Tindering in Rio. At the time, Lochte says, he was under contractual obligation to present himself as single, though he won’t say for what company.”
Pretending to be single is a bizarre caveat to put in a sponsorship contract. Unless Lochte was sponsored by Trojan or Tinder, which he wasn’t. Otherwise, what’s the incentive to presenting him as a single man? Are people really pining over Lochte?
With multiple sponsors pulling away from Lochte following the gas station incident in Brazil, he’s probably now free to talk about his relationship (barring him violating a NDA with the comments). Regardless of what you think of Lochte, it’s great to see he’s found love, is able to talk about it, and is at least maturing in his life in one way.
[New York Magazine/Larry Brown Sports]
