Olympic Star Mary Lou Retton Arrested on DUI Charge
The incident follows her recent battle with a rare form of pneumonia.
Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
U.S. Olympic gold medallist Mary Lou Retton was arrested on a DUI charge in Marion County, West Virginia.
Retton, 57, was arrested on Saturday, May 17, on one count of “driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties,” records obtained by the New York Post on Monday show. She paid a $1,500 bond the same day.
Retton is yet to publicly comment on the arrest. The Daily Beast has contacted a rep for Retton for comment.
Retton became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics at the Los Angeles Games in 1984. She won five medals during that Olympics and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
The gymnast appeared on the 2018 season of Dancing With the Stars, where she finished ninth.
1984 Summer Olympics: USA Mary Lou Retton in action on balance beam during Women's All-Around Team competition at Pauley Pavilion.
Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima
She last made headlines in 2023 when she was hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia.
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Her daughter, McKenna Kelley, wrote on Instagram at the time, “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured.”
The Olympian said COVID-19, a divorce, and a string of operations had drained her funds. “That’s the bottom line, I couldn’t afford it,” she said.
Her family started a crowdfunding campaign that raised $200,000 in a single day.
During an interview with Today she admitted, “I am so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here, because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support.”
The Olympian spent a month in hospital after being discovered on the floor of her home by a neighbor. “My lungs were completely white in the X-Rays,” Retton said. Her medical team told her family to prepare for the worst. “They were saying their goodbyes to me. I can’t even...” Retton said.
In October that year, Retton returned home and issued a statement on her recovery. “I’m with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process. When the time is right, I will be sharing more information about my health issues.”
USA Today reported Retton’s crowdfunding campaign had raised $459,234, but the Olympian would not comment on how much of the donations went to her health care.
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