Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton faces a charge of driving under the influence.
Known as “America‘s Sweetheart” after her win at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, Retton, 57, was arrested on May 17 in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, and posted a $1,500 bond, CBS Sports reported, citing court records.
NBC News said it was not clear at this point “what happened before her arrest.”
Retton, the first-ever American woman to win an Olympic individual all-around gold, has struggled in recent years. In 2023, she was said to be “fighting for her life” after being hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia.
Her daughter, McKenna Kelley, posted on social media at the time that Retton was “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.”
A crowdfunding page set up by Kelley sought to raise $50,000 for Retton’s care. According to the page, more than $459,000 has been donated by 8,320 people, including a single gift of $50,000.
Last year, Retton said in an interview on NBC’s “Today Show” that she faced “death in the eyes” but had much to look forward to. Wearing an oxygen tube, she said she has insurance now but had financial difficulties after a 2018 divorce and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I couldn’t afford it, I couldn’t afford it, I couldn’t afford it,” Retton told the Today Show. “But who would even know that this was going to happen to me? That‘s the bottom line, I couldn’t afford it.”
Retton did not provide details of her illness in the Today Show interview, saying it was difficult to talk about.
“Usually my interviews are, ‘Oh, yes — it felt great to win the Olympics,’ you know? This is different," she said. “This is serious and this is life and I am so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here because there is a time when they were about to put me on life support.”
Retton was a household name in the U.S. for many years, appearing on everything from the iconic Wheaties cereal box to “Dancing With The Stars.” In 1989, she came out of retirement to perform at the University of Utah alongside famed Belarusian gymnast Olga Korbut.