Olympic medalist Greg Louganis, 64, makes a rare appearance with his dog in LA… after splitting from husband of nearly 8 years John Chaillot
Greg Louganis made a rare appearance with his dog in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The Olympic gold medalist was spotted at the GBK pre-ESPY Luxury Lounge, which also featured Chuck Liddell, Baron Davis and Rodney Peete.
Greg, 64, brought his dog along as he posed with other athletes.
This happened three years after he filed for divorce from his estranged husband, John Chaillot.
In 2021, paperwork to dissolve the union was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, TMZ reported.
Greg Louganis made a rare appearance with his dog in Los Angeles on Thursday. The Olympic gold medalist was spotted in the GBK pre-ESPY gifting suite where Chuck Liddell, Baron Davis and Rodney Peete were seen. Pictured with Gavin Keilly, founder of GBK Brand Bar
Louganis of the USA celebrated his gold medal in the men’s 10m platform event during the diving competition at the 1983 National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado
The decision to end the eight-year marriage was a mutual one, the website reported, and the medalist expressed his gratitude to the couple’s friends and supporters.
Louganis and Chaillot first started dating in 2012, after meeting on the dating site Match.
In June 2013, they announced their engagement and married later that year.
Shortly after the two decided to tie the knot, the athlete spoke to People about his desire to remain a paralegal for the rest of his life.
“I finally met my soulmate – the more I fall in love with Johnny, the more I fall in love with myself. This is what the universe had in store for both of us,” he said.
After the couple’s wedding, Louganis said People that their wedding had been a transformative experience.
(L-R) Gil Roberts, Louganis, Keilly and Willie Gault
Louganis’ estranged husband, John Chaillot, filed for divorce from the former Olympic medalist in 2021; they are seen together in 2018
Louganis and Chaillot first met on the dating site Match in 2012; they are pictured at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2019
The former Olympian told the media outlet: “I already feel different. The ceremony was so reflective and representative of who we are.”
He said that in the relatively short time they had been together, he had developed an exceptionally close bond with his husband.
The athlete noted: “It’s been an incredible journey… It feels like we’ve experienced a lifetime in a short period of time.”
They announced their engagement in June 2013 and married that same year; they are seen in 2020
Before getting involved with his ex-husband, Louganis was in a relationship with R. James Babbitt that lasted most of the 1980s.
The former Olympian later claimed he was sexually assaulted at knifepoint by his ex-partner, against whom he eventually filed for a restraining order.
Babbitt died of AIDS shortly after informing the diver of his condition in 1988.
That same year, just before the start of the Olympic Games in South Korea, the athlete discovered that he had tested positive for HIV.
Shortly after his wedding, Louganis spoke to People and told the media that he and his husband “experienced a whole life in a very short period of time”; he is seen in 1982
Their relationship was later expanded upon in the 1997 television film Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story, which starred Mario Lopez as the diver.
Louganis kept the news of his condition secret for years. Over time, his health deteriorated to the point that he began to fear his life was coming to an end.
The diver waited until his health had significantly recovered before speaking openly about his experiences with the disease in a much-discussed interview with Barbara Walters in 1995.
Since then, he has been a vocal advocate for HIV awareness and LGBT rights. His life and career were featured in the 2014 documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis.