Latest news with #Retton
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mary Lou Retton Ends Up Behind Bars For DUI After Near-Death Pneumonia Battle
Olympic icon is making headlines once again, this time for all the wrong reasons. Mary Lou Retton's arrest comes just two years after she survived a terrifying, life-threatening health scare. On May 17, the 57-year-old former gymnast, who became a national treasure after her gold-medal win at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was arrested in Marion County, West Virginia, and charged with a misdemeanor for driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs, according to court records. According to "Good Morning America," Retton was released the same day after posting a $1,500 bond. As of now, she has not entered a plea. In 2023, she was hospitalized for nearly two weeks in the ICU with what she described as a "rare form of pneumonia," a condition that left her dependent on supplemental oxygen and struggling to regain her strength. In a candid May 2024 interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Retton revealed she was still dealing with lingering health issues. "I still have a hard time breathing and getting breath to speak," she shared, adding that her condition had kept her from returning to the motivational speaking circuit. "That's frustrating. It's been hard, I have to say." Pneumonia, a lung infection that varies in severity, can be triggered by multiple sources, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even parasites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While it can affect people of all ages, the infection tends to pose a greater risk for young children, older adults, and individuals with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or chronic heart, lung, or liver disease. Additional risk factors include smoking and excessive alcohol use. At the time of her illness, her daughters launched a fundraising campaign to help cover medical expenses, sparking controversy online. "My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life," one of her daughters wrote in the fundraising description. "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 daughter added, "We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill. ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y'all so very much!" At the time, one anonymous donor went viral after giving $200. "Watching you perform and win in the Olympics was a gift!" they shared alongside their donation. "As a young girl, seeing someone so humble and gracious when you received your medals was inspiring. We are holding you close in our hearts and prayers." Critics, however, questioned why a former Wheaties cover star needed financial help, but Retton didn't waste any time defending her daughters' actions. "The bills were and are still coming in," she said, making it clear that she did not have health insurance at the time. "I didn't even know that was happening until I came to a few weeks later." "They were just trying to take care of me," she explained. "You're welcome to your opinion. But you weren't in that situation. My daughters stepped up to the plate and they saved my life." Retton's storied legacy as a trailblazing gymnast includes five Olympic medals: one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes, making her the most decorated athlete of the 1984 Games. Her perfect 10s in Los Angeles made her a household name and the face of American gymnastics. Now, fans are left shocked by this latest turn in her story as the former sweetheart of Team USA navigates a very different kind of spotlight.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New details emerge in Olympic gold medalist's West Virginia DUI arrest
New details have emerged about the arrest of Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. On May 17, Retton was arrested in her hometown of West Virginia on charges of 'driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties,' according to court records. Retton, 57, was stopped by Fairmount Police after they received a report of a person in a Porsche driving erratically, The Associated Press reported. The gymnast smelled of alcohol, was slurring her words and failed a field sobriety test, police said. Officers also reported seeing a container of wine on the passenger seat. Retton had refused a roadside breath test and blood test, AP added, and was released from custody after paying a $1,500 personal recognizance bond. Retton's attorney, Edmund J. Rollo of Morgantown, did not immediately respond to requests from AP seeking comment. Retton became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Retton won two silver medals and two bronze medals that year as well. In 2023, Retton was 'fighting for her life' in the ICU battling a 'very rare form of pneumonia,' her daughter said on social media. McKenna Kelley, Retton's daughter, asked for prayers and donations for her ailing mother on her Instagram story. 'Hey everyone! On behalf of my sisters and I, we need y'all's help,' Kelley wrote at the time on SpotFund. '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.' Retton, who competed on the 27th season of 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2018, told PEOPLE in 2024 that her odds of surviving were slim. 'They prayed over me, and McKenna said, 'Mommy, it's OK, you can go.' I didn't have much of a relationship with my mother, but I can't imagine what that was like, to watch their mom on her deathbed,' Retton told the outlet. Despite pulling through, the former gymnast said she felt like she would 'never be the same' again. 'It's been really hard. My lungs are so scarred. It will be a lifetime of recovery,' Retton told PEOPLE. 'My physicality was the only thing I had, and it was taken away from me. It's embarrassing.' Cape Cod beach named one of the top 10 US beaches by Dr. Beach Bye-bye, Big Bird? Trump turns to Congress for help with $9.4B in DOGE cuts to PBS, foreign aid Boston woman sentenced for identity theft in drug trafficking scheme Shots-fired call leads to 2 arrests in Holyoke Boston shooting suspect didn't get a court-appointed attorney — and you might not either Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Details of Mary Lou Retton's DUI Bust Revealed: Slurring and Screw-Top Wine
Gymnast Mary Lou Retton had a bottle of wine with a 'screw top container' in the passenger seat of her Porsche when she was pulled over by police. The gold medalist, 57, was 'driving all over the roadway' when she was pulled over in Fairmont, West Virginia on May 17 after police had been notified of the erratic driving, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. Retton had 'the odor of alcohol' behind the wheel of her still-running car and was 'slurring her words,' the report said. Police found Retton sitting in her car in the parking lot of an AutoZone store. She failed all three phases of the standard field sobriety test. She also refused to undertake a roadside preliminary breath test and a secondary chemical test of her blood. The award-winning gymnast was charged in Marion County with one misdemeanor count of 'driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs,' according to court records. She was released after posting a $1,500 bond. Retton's attorney Edmond declined to comment on the arrest, according to ABC News. Retton rose to fame in the 1984 Summer Olympics where she received two perfect 10 scores. Her arrest comes two years after she revealed survived a health scare after being diagnosed with a rare form of pneumonia. In May last year Retton told Entertainment Tonight she was still struggling with the lung infection and required supplemental oxygen. 'I still have a hard time breathing and getting breath to speak,' Retton said. 'I'm a speaker (and) I haven't been able to really work because I don't know if I can get up on stage and do an hour long talk like I've normally done for 40 years. That's frustrating. It's been hard, I have to say.'
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
US Olympic gymnastics star arrested for drink driving
Legendary US Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs after being arrested in her West Virginia hometown. Fairmont police stopped Retton on May 17 following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to the criminal complaint, Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, and she failed a field sobriety test. Officers also reported observing a container of wine in the passenger seat. Retton, 57, refused a roadside breath test and a blood test. She was released from custody after paying a $US1500 personal recognisance bond. Retton, 57, shot to global fame after becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold for gymnastics at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. At just 16, she also won two silver and two bronze medals to help bring gymnastics into the mainstream in the United States. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2023, Retton's family disclosed she was recuperating from a rare form of pneumonia that landed her in intensive care. Doctors found her oxygen levels dangerously low. Legendary US Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs after being arrested in her West Virginia hometown. Fairmont police stopped Retton on May 17 following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to the criminal complaint, Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, and she failed a field sobriety test. Officers also reported observing a container of wine in the passenger seat. Retton, 57, refused a roadside breath test and a blood test. She was released from custody after paying a $US1500 personal recognisance bond. Retton, 57, shot to global fame after becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold for gymnastics at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. At just 16, she also won two silver and two bronze medals to help bring gymnastics into the mainstream in the United States. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2023, Retton's family disclosed she was recuperating from a rare form of pneumonia that landed her in intensive care. Doctors found her oxygen levels dangerously low. Legendary US Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs after being arrested in her West Virginia hometown. Fairmont police stopped Retton on May 17 following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to the criminal complaint, Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, and she failed a field sobriety test. Officers also reported observing a container of wine in the passenger seat. Retton, 57, refused a roadside breath test and a blood test. She was released from custody after paying a $US1500 personal recognisance bond. Retton, 57, shot to global fame after becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold for gymnastics at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. At just 16, she also won two silver and two bronze medals to help bring gymnastics into the mainstream in the United States. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2023, Retton's family disclosed she was recuperating from a rare form of pneumonia that landed her in intensive care. Doctors found her oxygen levels dangerously low. Legendary US Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs after being arrested in her West Virginia hometown. Fairmont police stopped Retton on May 17 following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to the criminal complaint, Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, and she failed a field sobriety test. Officers also reported observing a container of wine in the passenger seat. Retton, 57, refused a roadside breath test and a blood test. She was released from custody after paying a $US1500 personal recognisance bond. Retton, 57, shot to global fame after becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold for gymnastics at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. At just 16, she also won two silver and two bronze medals to help bring gymnastics into the mainstream in the United States. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2023, Retton's family disclosed she was recuperating from a rare form of pneumonia that landed her in intensive care. Doctors found her oxygen levels dangerously low.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mary Lou Retton Had Bottle of Wine in Passenger Seat and Was Slurring Her Words During DUI Arrest: Reports
Mary Lou Retton was allegedly in possession of a wine bottle when she was pulled over for an alleged DUI earlier this month The former Olympic gymnast was arrested in West Virginia on May 17 for allegedly "driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties" She bonded out later that dayMary Lou Retton allegedly had a bottle of wine in her passenger seat when she was pulled over by police and subsequently charged with a DUI earlier this month, per a criminal complaint cited by the Associated Press. On May 17, police in West Virginia responded to an incident involving the retired Olympic gymnast, 57, after receiving reports of a Porsche with a Texas license plate driving 'all over the roadway,' near downtown Fairmont, WDTV reported Monday, May 26, citing court documents. Retton was found in her car in a Marion County AutoZone parking lot with a screw-top bottle of wine in her passenger seat when officers approached her, according to the news station, citing court documents. Police also claimed the sports star slurred her words as she spoke to them and was issued three standard field sobriety tests, which detected she was impaired, WDTV reported. Retton refused to have her blood tested for alcohol, per the AP. She was arrested that same day on one count of "driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties." Retton was issued a personal recognizance bond of $1,500, which she posted that same day. PEOPLE did not immediately receive a response from Retton's representatives. The West Virginia native made history at just 16 years old when she made history at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles by becoming the first American female gymnast to win an individual all-around gold medal. She shares four daughters — Shayla, McKenna, Skyla and Emma — with her ex-husband, Shannon Kelley. "I put my four daughters into a sport that I love. It's woven into every fabric of my being. We're a gymnastics family,' the Dancing with the Stars alum told Today in 2019. 'Three stuck with it, one was a cheerleader. Her path was different than mine, and I'm so proud of everything.' In October 2023, McKenna, now 28, revealed that Retton was hospitalized and in the ICU with a rare form of pneumonia. "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 not insured," she said, while also linking a Spotfund page for support. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Retton told PEOPLE in July 2024 that she pulled through because 'God wasn't ready for me yet," though she felt her life would "never be the same" again, as she said she still relied on daily oxygen. 'It's been really hard. My lungs are so scarred. It will be a lifetime of recovery. My physicality was the only thing I had and it was taken away from me. It's embarrassing," she said. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Read the original article on People
