E-Paper
Why Mary Lou Retton has been arrested in West Virginia? A look at charges filed against Olympic gymnastics legend
Mary Lou Retton, the retired Olympic gymnast, was arrested for DUI in Marion County, West Virginia on May 17.
Mary Lou Retton, a retired gymnast, was arrested for DUI charge earlier this month. The Olympic gold champion was taken into custody in Marion County, West Virginia on May 17, for “driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties,” according to West Virginia Magistrate Court system records available online.
The 57-year-old allegedly refused a BAC test and drove her Porsche “all over the roadway” while holding a bottle of wine in the passenger seat, as per TMZ.
According to the outlet, she displayed evidence of impairment in every field sobriety test.
What charges are filed against Mary Lou Retton?
On the day of her arrest, Retton secured a $1,500 bond and was charged with one misdemeanor count of DUI.
The former athlete gained notoriety for her participation in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she emerged as the first American woman to take home the Olympic gymnastics all-around gold medal.
Her other accomplishments included bronze in the floor exercise and uneven bars, and silver in the team competition and horse vault.
Here's what happened after Mary Lou Retton's retirement
After her retirement, the former "Dancing With the Stars" star made headlines again in October 2023 after being admitted to the hospital due to a rare case of pneumonia.
During a crowdfunding campaign, McKenna Kelley, Retton's daughter, notified her Instagram followers that her mother was unable to breathe on her own.
Her 28-year-old daughter informed that she has been in the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than a week now. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she not insured.”
She described her health concern to People in July of the following year, stating that Kelley and her sisters, Emma, 22, Shayla, 30, and Skyla, 25, were informed that she might not survive the months-long hospital stay.
“They prayed over me, and McKenna said, ‘Mommy, it’s OK, you can go,’” Retton recalled in 2024, as per Page Six.
