Olympic gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton was arrested recently in Marion County, West Virginia, on one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs, according to court records from the West Virginia Magistrate Court system.
Retton, 57, posted a personal recognizance bond of $1,500 the same day of her arrest, May 17, and was released from jail. News of the arrest began circulating on Monday after court records became available online.
The arrest comes nearly two years after Retton was hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia in October 2023. Her daughter McKenna Kelley announced the hospitalization through an Instagram Story that included a link to a crowdfunding page.
“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,” Kelley wrote.
Retton spent more than a week in the intensive care unit and was hospitalized for a month total. Her family raised $200,000 in donations within one day through the crowdfunding campaign to help cover medical expenses.
During her hospitalization, doctors told Retton’s four daughters that she might not survive. In a July 2024 interview with PEOPLE magazine, Retton described the severity of her condition.
“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 said.
Retton credited her survival to divine intervention, saying “God wasn’t ready for me yet.” However, she acknowledged that her recovery has been difficult and ongoing.
“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 told PEOPLE.
In a January 2024 appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, Retton reflected on her brush with death.
“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,” she said. She also stated, “This is serious, and this is life, and I’m so grateful to be here.”
As of July 2024, Retton said she still relied on daily oxygen due to lung scarring from the pneumonia.
Retton became a household name at age 16 during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she earned the nickname “America’s sweetheart.” She scored perfect 10s in floor exercise and vault during the final two rotations to become the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around gymnastics title.
She took home five medals total at the 1984 Olympics, including one gold medal in the all-around competition, two silver medals, and two bronze medals. Sports Illustrated named her Sportsperson of the Year in 1984 for her Olympic performance.
After retiring from competitive gymnastics, Retton became a motivational speaker who frequently shared messages about proper nutrition and exercise. She served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under former President George W. Bush.
Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. She also made appearances in entertainment, including a 1993 episode of “Baywatch,” the 1994 film “Naked Gun 33 ¹/₃: The Final Insult,” and later appeared on “Dancing with the Stars.”
The DUI charge represents the first known legal trouble for the former Olympic champion, who has maintained a public profile through speaking engagements and media appearances since her competitive career ended.