Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton has seen better days.
Retton was arrested last month on DUI charges.
Retton was arrested on May 17, 2025, in Marion County, West Virginia, after authorities suspected her of driving under the influence. According to police, she exhibited signs of impairment, including slurred speech and smelling of alcohol. A container of wine was reportedly found in her vehicle, per the outlet, and she allegedly failed field sobriety tests given.
While the Olympian has not yet publicly commented on the incident, her ex-brother-in-law is providing information about her health.
The 57-year-old Olympic legend, who overcame a near-fatal illness back in 2023, was released the same day after posting her $1,500 bond.
As for her current health, Lou Retton is still unable to draw a full breath and only needs one drink to ‘throw off her brain chemistry.’
Shaun Kelley, the brother of her ex-husband Shannon, revealed that one drink for Mary Lou Retton could cause her to have a chemical imbalance in her brain because of the medications she’s currently taking.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral Olympics stories via Google! Follow Us
‘She couldn’t even take a full breath when I talked to her, she takes these little panting breaths,’ Shaun told The New York Post about his ex-sister-in-law.
He also added: ‘She is on all these meds, and one drink could throw off her brain chemistry.
Her arrest comes less than two years after Retton was “fighting for her life” during a battle with a rare form of pneumonia that left her hospitalized in intensive care.
Mary Lou Retton Is Still An Icon
Mary Lou Retton has battled with severe health issues over the last two-and-a-half years while relying on oxygen.
Retton made headlines recently after she was arrested under suspicion of “driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs.”
Before we got here, Retton was known for winning a gold medal in the individual all-around competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
She scored two perfect 10s—in the floor exercise and vault—to narrowly defeat Romanian Ecaterina Szabo and win the gold.
Mary Lou Retton won four additional medals at the 1984 Olympics, including two silver and two bronze.
She was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year for her performance at the 1984 Olympics.
Also Read: American Gymnastics Legend Mary Lou Retton Arrested On Disturbing Charges
