In a new interview, the Olympic swimmer speaks candidly about his highs and lows of the past few years.
Ryan Lochte has had some highs and lows in the past couple years, to say the least.
In a new interview, the Olympic swimmer opens up about the 2016 Rio scandal, where he and several U.S. men's swim teammates fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint following an incident at a Brazilian gas station.
The controversy led to outrage and loss of sponsorships for the 32-year-old athlete, who confesses to ESPN that amid the fallout, there were days where he didn't know whether he could go on.
EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Lochte Says His Rio Scandal Helped Him Realize Fiancee Kayla Rae Reid Was The One
"After Rio, I was probably the most hated person in the world," he says. "There were a couple of points where I was crying, thinking, 'If I go to bed and never wake up, fine.'"
When asked whether that meant he had considered suicide, Lochte responded, "I was about to hang up my entire life."
But Lochte shares that expecting a child with fiancee Kayla Rae Reid has inspired him to bounce back, and reveals that he plans to take part in the 2020 games in Tokyo, Japan, with his head held high.
"Everything happens for a reason," he says. "Look, I was done with swimming back in 2013. I was drained, wiped out. Now I've found a new purpose with my son. This fire has been ignited, and it's bigger than ever, and I'm just so excited because I know what's going to happen in Tokyo. Everyone is going to have to watch out!"
MORE: 2016 Rio Olympics: The 9 Biggest and Most Scandalous Moments
In October 2016, Lochte credited his wife-to-be with helping him through his troubles stemming from the Rio scandal.
"She stuck right there by me and just was my rock," he told ET at the time. "That’s when I knew. I was like, 'I’m not letting this one go.'"
Watch the video below for the biggest celeb scandals from last year.
