“Where I Hated Him”- Michael Phelps’ Wife Nicole Johnson Was Glad They Broke Up Once Before Marriage

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. He is probably one of the greatest athletes of all time and has inspired many generations of swimmers. He has opened up about his mental health issues and how his wife, Nicole Johnson Phelps, has helped him through his toughest times.

Currently, they are happily married with three kids. However, their relationship wasn’t always smooth sailing. They had somewhat of an on-and-off dynamic for about eight years before their engagement. 

Nicole Johnson on breaking up with Michael Phelps

After Phelps’ glorious six medal victory at Rio in 2016, Nicole Johnson opened up about their split in the past. “There were definitely times, and I think Michael would say the same thing, where I hated him,” she told Cosmopolitan. 

“We were at odds at times. Even when I loathed him, there were still times when I was like, ‘God, I wish I was with him.’”  The time they spent apart saw quite a few blemishes in the swimming legend’s life. 

Phelps was arrested for a DUI in 2014, going 40 miles an hour over the speed limit, followed by a 45-day stint in rehab. Nicole Johnson believes that their split was a crucial period that contributed to the healthy relationship they have now.

“Michael and I both know that had we tried to have a child and get married in the previous time we were together, it probably would not have ended pretty,” she added. “We both had a lot of growing up to do. We both had a lot of learning about ourselves to do.”

READ MORE: “My Goggles Filled Up With Water”- Michael Phelps Swam Blind for Over 175m to Achieve One of His Biggest Career Achievement

The Phelps family currently lives in Arizona

The couple met in 2007 at the ESPY Awards, where Johnson was working with ESPN as an escort, and shortly started dating. But in 2011, the couple split and spent about three years apart before getting back together. They announced their engagement in 2015.

Phelps and Johnson had their first child on May 5, 2016, when they welcomed Boomer Robert Phelps into the world. They got married in June 2016 in a small intimate ceremony in their backyard.

After Michael’s incredible run at the Rio Olympics, they had a proper wedding. The couple invited about 50 of their closest friends and family to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in October. They had two more kids, Beckett Richard Phelps, born on February 12, 2018, and Maverick Nicolas Phelps, born on September 9, 2019.

You can catch glimpses of their life together on the couples’ Instagram accounts. They may have a rocky middle in their relationship, but they have come out strong on the other side.

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