Olympic icon Mary Lou Retton accused of DUI in West Virginia
Mary Lou Retton FILE PHOTO: Former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton arrives for the Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Ballroom at Bayou Place on February 4, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Retton was arrested earlier this month, accused of DUI. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Fanatics) (Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Fanatics)
ByCox Media Group National Content Desk
MARION COUNTY, W.Va. — Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was recently arrested for DUI in West Virginia.
Retton, 57, was stopped in Marion County, West Virginia, on May 17 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs, court records show.
The West Virginia native was released on a $1,500 bond.
Retton was thrust into the spotlight during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics, CBS Sports reported. She had two perfect 10s in the vault and floor exercise, despite having an injured knee that was surgically repaired weeks before the games.
She won a total of five medals during the games - one gold, two silver and two bronze.
Retton was enshrined in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame more than a decade later in 1997. She also became a motivational speaker and a television host.
In 2023, however, her daughter said that she was “fighting for her life” with a “very rare form of pneumonia,” adding that she did not have health insurance, USA Today reported.
An online fundraiser brought in $450,000, but there were questions surrounding why she wasn’t able to get insurance like her daughter claimed and how the fundraiser money was being spent.
After the medical bills were paid, the family said they would donate “all of the remaining funds” to a charity of Retton’s choice, but how much was used on hospital funds, or where the remainder went was not answered by the gold medalist or her family when USA Today asked in January 2024.
In May 2024, she told Entertainment Tonight that the money left over from the medical bills would go to the American Lung Association.
Her daughter then told USA Today that her mother could not get affordable health insurance because of pre-existing conditions, including “over 30 orthopedic surgeries, including four hip replacements.”
Retton appeared on the “Today” show, saying, “They were about to put me on life support.” But later in the interview said she was able to get health insurance.
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Through the years Undated: Mary Lou Retton of the United States (left) stands with her coach Bela Karolyi. Mandatory Credit: Tony Duffy /Allsport (Tony Duffy/Getty Images)
Through the years UNITED STATES - JANUARY 01: Gymnastics: Mary Lou Retton in action, 1/1/1984--7/30/1984 (Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X30059 TK1 R2) (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima)
Through the years 1 AUG 1984: MARY LOU RETTON OF THE UNITED STATES IS CONGRATULATED BY TEAM MATES AFTER SCORING A PERFECT 10.0 DURING THE VAULT SECTION OF THE TEAM COMBINED GYMNASTICS COMPETITION. THE USA WON THE SILVER MEDAL BEHIND ROMANIA. (Steve Powell/Getty Images)
Through the years 1984: Mary Lou Retton during the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) (Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)
Through the years Scene from the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive)
Through the years 1989: Mary Lou Retton (right) stands with Olga Korbut. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport (Ken Levine/Getty Images)
Through the years 10 Dec 2001: Torchbearer Mary Lou Retton-Kelley passes the Olympic Flame from her torch to a cauldron during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay in Houston, Texas. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw//Pool/Allsport (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
Through the years HOUSTON - OCTOBER 16: Former Gold Medal Olympian Mary Lou Retton throws out the first pitch before Game three of National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros during the 2004 Major League Baseball Playoffs on October 16, 2004 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Astros defeated the Cardinals 5-2 to set the series at 2 games to 1 St. Louis. (Photo By Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Through the years SCOTTSDALE, AZ - APRIL 05: Athlete Mary Lou Retton and daughter arrives to Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XIV at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa on April 5, 2008 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night) (Charley Gallay)
Through the years HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL - FEBRUARY 21: Mary Lou Retton, former Olympic Gold Medalist in Women's Gymnastics, looks on during the 2009 Tyson American Cup at the Sears Centre on February 21, 2009 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Mary Lou Retton (L) and Sasha Farber pose at "Dancing with the Stars" Season 27 at CBS Televison City on September 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) (David Livingston/Getty Images)
Through the years HOUSTON, TX - MAY 04: Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton takes the First Shot during Game Three of the Second Round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center on May 4, 2019 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) (Tim Warner/Tim Warner)
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