“Still Haunted by That Comment”: Michael Phelps’ Was Left Traumatized by an Inappropriate Comment From a Young Fan After His Infamous Arrest Controversy

Michael Phelps is arguably one of the greatest swimmers the world has ever seen. Michael pulled away from his contemporaries by accomplishing something which was never achieved before. The ‘Flying Fish’ won 28 Olympic medals and is the most decorated athlete in Olympics history. Throughout his career, Michael faced numerous setbacks which changed people’s perception of him.

Michael Phelps was only 15 years old during his Olympic debut. Despite not winning a medal in his debut Olympic games, the world had an idea of Michael’s potential. He rose to fame in the Athens Olympics, where he won 8 medals. An incident after the Athens Olympics brought Phelps into a pool of controversies.

Michael Phelps reacts to people mocking him

Michael Phelps became a household name after the Athens Olympics. People had many expectations of him. They considered him to be the next star of the swimming world. However, in November 2004, the police arrested Phelps for Driving Under Influence (DUI) In Maryland. At that time of arrest, he was just 19. The media covered the incident heavily, which affected his newly earned fame.

Michael’s mother, Mrs. Debbie Phelps, in her book ‘A Mother for All Seasons: A Memoir’, opened up on the ordeal faced by the family. The incident affected Michael deeply. Michael was sorry and remorseful for his actions. Despite accepting his mistake publicly and apologizing for the same, people would mock him when he made public appearances. Debbie revealed one such incident in her book.

DIVE DEEPER: Despite Michael Phelps Pleading Guilty, Mother Revealed the Untold Reality Behind His Arrest in 2004: “Tried to Have Someone Else Drive…”

When they were going through Penn Station in New York for an event, a young fan called Phelps. Michael turned back with a smile to say hello. But before he could say anything, the kid exclaimed, “Let’s go have a beer.” The inappropriate comment traumatized Michael. “The look on his face then was so sad. When we arrived at the hotel, Hilary noticed Michael resting his head in his hands, still haunted by that comment”, wrote Debbie Phelps.

Michael’s relationship with his mother

Michael grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents parted ways when he was nine years old. Being the youngest of three children, his parents’ divorce affected him a lot. After the divorce, Michael did not maintain much contact with his father. His mother was his primary caretaker.

Michael revealed in multiple interviews that his mother was his support and source of motivation. Mrs. Phelps would accompany him to all his competitions and cheer for him from the sidelines. His mother acknowledged the hard work that he put in to be successful. “My mom is absolutely everything”, he said in an interview.

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