Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte revealed the emotional toll he went through after his 2016 Rio Olympics scandal, saying he felt like the "most hated man in the world."Speaking on the "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast, the 12-time Olympic medalist detailed the emotional collapse that followed the backlash to his robbery story."I never wished I would kill myself, commit suicide, but I wished I went to sleep and never woke up," Lochte told Hannity."Or I wish I went to an island and never saw anyone the rest of my life, because I would make the world a little better if I was just gone," he added.During the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Lochte claimed he and fellow swimmers were robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police officers.
Brazilian authorities pushed back against the narrative, revealing instead that an intoxicated Lochte and his teammates had vandalized a gas station bathroom and were asked to pay for the damages by armed security guards.FETTERMAN’S BRUTALLY CANDID ACCOUNT OF BATTLING DEPRESSION, FEELING SUICIDAL, BEING THROWN OUT OF HIS HOUSERyan Lochte of the United States reacted after competing in the men’s 200-meter individual medley final during the U.S.Olympic Team Swimming Trials on June 18, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
(Al Bello/Getty Images)Lochte told Hannity that when he gave initial interviews about the incident, he was "still drunk" and panicked."I was just drunk, and I didn’t have my wallet, so I just kind of put two and two.I just was, yeah—they took my wallet," he said, adding, "Part of me was a little scared that a gun was pointed at me, and I just kind of freaked out."The public fallout over the inconsistencies in his story became a national controversy, resulting in Lochte issuing a formal apology.
He was suspended from competition for 10 months, lost major sponsorships and faced intense public backlash.The athlete described the days following the scandal as absolute "hell."TCU'S HAILEY VAN LITH GETS CANDID AB...