Former US President George W Bush Laid a Cupid Trap for Michael Phelps to Become a Member of His Family

Michael Phelps became a global phenomenon as the 2008 Olympics ended. Having won an unprecedented eight gold medals in a single Olympics, Phelps became the ultimate inspiration for almost every athlete. Along with that, he became America’s most eligible bachelor.

Amongst the people wanting to make Phelps, their son-in-law was also the name of former US President George W Bush. He thought Phelps and Barbara Bush would make a decent couple and tried a few things to make it happen.

President Bush wanted Michael Phelps to be his son-in-law

Michael Phelps was a wanted man after the Beijing Olympics. Brands wanted to sign him for endorsements, talk shows wanted him in an episode, mothers wanted their sons to be like him, and fathers wanted him to be married to their daughters. His public appeal knew no bounds once he accomplished the unthinkable. George W Bush witnessed everything as the then President of the States and expressed a desire shared by him and his daughter, Barbara.

Barbara, 26, expressed her desire to want to marry Phelps (23). She would often talk to her friends about Michael, even before the Beijing Games. She believed Michael’s swimming skills would win him many gold medals in his career. Upon knowing this, not only did President Bush agree with his daughter, but he also played a cupid’s role.

READ MORE: “Michael and I Were at Loss’’: Michael Phelps’ Wife Revealed Parental Setback They Faced With Their 4-Year-Old Son

To ‘get things going’ George Bush took his daughter to watch Phelps compete at the National Aquatics Center. As Phelps won the gold medal, George Bush congratulated Phelps and introduced him to his daughter. A week later, Bush invited Phelps to the White House for dinner, stating Barbara would accompany Michael throughout.

Michael and Nicole

Barbara’s plans to marry Phelps could never come into full motion as he was invested someplace else. Just a year before the Beijing Olympics, Michael met Nicole for the first time. She wasn’t too thrilled to meet him that night as Nicole looked forward to having time to meet with Travis Pastrana. But as they talked, the couple realized they had a lot in common.

After an on-and-off relationship, Nicole and Michael married each other. They got engaged in 2015 and married each other in 2016, just before the Rio Olympics. Now, Nicole is one of the most significant figures in his life as she helped him through some of the toughest phases of his life. The couple also has three sons together, thus making their family complete.

WATCH THIS STORY: Inside Swimming Legend Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson’s Secret Marriage

While former President Bush would have loved to make the GOAT swimmer his son-in-law, it wasn’t meant to be, as fate had already destined Michael to be with Nicole.