“You Gotta Be Sh***** Me”: Michael Phelps’ Father Felt Annoyed by Fans’ Behavior When He Disclosed His Identity

Michael Phelps started swimming when he was seven years old, following his sisters into the pool. He took the competitive side pretty quickly, and his family supported him. At nine, his parents divorced, and his father’s absence didn’t settle well for the young Phelps.

His father tried to stay connected to his kids and maintained a close bond with Phelps’ two sisters. But the swimming legend couldn’t close that distance easily, and they became estranged.

 Michael Phelps’ father wanted a better relationship with his son

The young swimmer wanted his father to be in his life as well. But his parents’ divorce made him feel abandoned, and he withdrew. Once, his father, Michael Fred Phelps, failed to show up at one of his swim meets despite promising that he’d be cheering from the stands. 

When Michael Phelps competed at his first Olympic Games in Sydney, his father pulled him aside to introduce him to his new wife. No one in the family even knew he had remarried. That had a deep impact on Michael. 

Phelps’ mother, Ms. Deborah ‘Debbie’ Phelps, was at the forefront in the media, shedding tears at his victories. But Fred Phelps faded into the background, proudly watching his son accomplish great heights, albeit from a distance. He turned away reporters asking for interviews. But since he and Phelps shared the same name, strangers would often ask him if they were related.

Sometimes he told the truth, but that always followed a barrage of autograph requests. And Fred Phelps didn’t appreciate those in any capacity. “It was just — you gotta be s***tin’ me,” Fred told ESPN. His relationship with his son stayed rocky for a long time.

READ MORE: “Don’t Think He Knew How to Fix It”: Michael Phelps’ Mother, Once Revealed Real Reason He Couldn’t Bond With His Father

They reconnected during Phelps’s last Olympic quad

In 2014, Michael Phelps went through a particularly dark phase in his life. He had suffered from depression for a while, and things got much worse. The police arrested the swimmer for driving 84 mph in the narrow, 45 mph, no-passing-allowed Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

He got charged with a DUI and did a 45-day stint in rehab at The Meadows in Arizona. Here, Phelps began to face his issues with his father but gained a better understanding of himself. When the family week came around, he invited Fred.

They began to establish a, albeit fragile, relationship. Father and son exchanged words, some welcome, some hurtful. And more than a father-son bond, they started a friendship. Fred Phelps felt happy with their progress and, consequently, kept refusing to do interviews with reporters.

He did not want his words to be twisted in a way that could complicate their newly formed bond. “It’s just not something I will tolerate,” Fred explained. “We’ve come too far.” Becoming a father himself helped Michael Phelps understand his father better. He’s unwilling to make the same mistakes, and he saw his relationship with Fred from a new perspective.

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