Gold Digger or Gold Medalist? What Ryan Lochte’s Divorce Case Reveals About Double Standards in Family Court
If you’ve ever wondered what “divorce privilege” looks like in America, look no further than Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte’s ongoing split from wife Kayla Rae Reid. In a case that’s raising eyebrows across the country, the former Playboy model isn’t just seeking custody of their three children—she’s going for a full sweep: the house, sole decision-making power, child support, and alimony.
In Florida, no less.
The headlines are already framing Lochte as the potential villain, but a closer look suggests something deeper: a cultural script that assumes the woman deserves everything—and the man is lucky if he’s left with a gym bag and a rental car.
Here’s what Reid is demanding, according to court filings:
Primary custody of all three kids
Exclusive use of the family’s $3 million home
Monthly child support payments from Lochte
Monthly alimony for herself
Sole parental decision-making power (meaning: she alone decides schooling, medical care, religion)
Mandatory life insurance on Lochte with her named as the sole beneficiary
If Ryan Lochte had filed for any of these requests against his wife, the media would be laughing him out of the courtroom—and social media would have him trending under #DeadbeatDad by lunch.
Imagine a man asking for the house, the kids, full control of their lives, and a monthly paycheck from the woman who birthed them. The double standard is glaring.
Let’s be real: Lochte’s not exactly America’s golden boy. He’s made his share of mistakes. But even flawed fathers deserve a fair shake in court—especially when the default setting seems to strip them of basic parental rights, while funneling cash and control to the other side without question.
This case isn’t just about Ryan Lochte. It’s about every father who’s walked into family court expecting justice and walked out feeling like an ATM with a weekend visitation schedule. It’s about how courts continue to treat fathers like optional accessories in their children’s lives, even when there’s no evidence of abuse, neglect, or unfitness.
Here’s the hard truth:
The family court system is not gender-neutral. It pretends to be. But stories like Lochte’s expose a deeper reality: when men ask for help, they’re seen as weak. When women do, they’re seen as victims. When men want custody, they’re controlling. When women want everything, it’s just “protecting the children.”
And don’t get us started on the life insurance clause. That’s not just about financial security—it’s about making sure your ex stays alive so the checks keep coming.
We’re not saying women shouldn’t receive support in genuine cases of need or abuse. But what we are saying is this: if equality is the goal, then fairness has to cut both ways. And right now, it’s not even close.
Ryan Lochte might be preparing for another battle outside the pool—but this one isn’t about medals. It’s about his right to be a father, not a funding source.
And if courts keep treating men like disposable wallets, don’t be surprised when fewer of them want to play by the rules of a rigged game.
Tired of the double standards? Join the movement to reform family court.
Bio:
Michael Phillips is the founder of the REBUILT Justice Project and editor-in-chief of The Republic Dispatch. A journalist and advocate, he exposes systemic failures in family court and fights for fairness for all parents.
Here's the reality that needs to slap Kayla Rae Reid right in the face. Here’s what Reid is demanding, according to court filings:
Primary custody of all three kids
Exclusive use of the family’s $3 million home
Monthly child support payments from Lochte
Monthly alimony for herself
Sole parental decision-making power (meaning: she alone decides schooling, medical care, religion)
Mandatory life insurance on Lochte with her named as the sole beneficiary.
1. She wants primary custody in order to obtain ALL of his assets. She will then hire a "nanny" because she is NOT, and I repeat, NOT, going to raise those children. She'll be out dating, hooking and looking for another sucker. So, she will emotionally, and maybe physically, abuse her own children for her own self-aggrandizement.
2. She wants exclusive use of the $3 MILLION dollar family home--that's out of the question. If both parties can't live in the same lifestyle as they had during the marriage, the house goes on the market, and both parties share the proceeds, and downsize. Or, in the alternative, if she's a porn star, she has significant financial resources to support herself and buy a very nice house.
3. Monthly child support from Lochte and monthly alimony for herself? Here's the BIG ONE!!! If she cannot afford to support her children or herself and wants 'dowry' from Lochte (which wasn't agreed upon from the outset of the marriage), it unequivocally shows she cannot afford to raise the children or herself on her own income and/or resources. She should definitely NOT have sole custody of the children if she cannot support them or herself.
4. Same goes for "sole parental decision-making" power over schooling, medical care, religion. If she cannot support the children or herself in today's modern, enlightened, woke feminist age, then she IS NOT entitled to the children. She needs to get a REAL JOB, not a B-Job!!!!!
5. Mandatory life insurance? For what. If she kills the guy because he wins custody, does she get to keep his insurance? That's a non-starter. Since she's a porn star with lots of opportunity to get sexually transmitted diseases, including sexually transmitted cancers, she should be the party obtaining mandatory life insurance.
This why divorce needs to sever economic attachment. Gender equality, JFK signed the equal pay act in 1963 . Swedish divorce is the only thing that will stop the endless court battles and the destruction of the family. And we need the SSA acts 4D and 4 E repealed .