Ryan Lochte is engaged.
And this is no lie.
Smack dab in the middle of Dancing With the Stars rehearsals, the controversial Olympic swimmer took a break over the weekend from Salsa and Tango lessons to pop life’s most important important.
He proposed to girlfriend Kayla Rae Reid.
And she said yes!
Or, more appropriately, perhaps she said JEAH.
"Memories forever!!! #thelochtes #LA," wrote the 12-time medalist on Instagram Sunday night as a caption to a sweet image of the couple kissing.
Reid then added a photo of herself, writing to fans and followers:
"Speechless. Absolutely beautiful. So in love with YOU."
Lochte has been unusually quiet about his relationship with Reid, who is best known as a Playboy model.
Most Olympic viewers this summer assumed that the swimmer was single.
Not that they focused much on his love life, of course.
The champion athlete became an Internet villain after he went out on night in Brazil with U.S. Swimming teammates and claimed the next day that he had been robbed at gunpoint.
Except Lochte and company did not get robbed at gunpoint.
Instead, they got really drunk and vandalized a bathroom.
A couple security guards then did hold a weapon in their faces and ordered them to pay for their damages before they fled the scene.
As a result of his (main) role in this lie and this cover-up, Lochte was handed a 10-month suspension by the United States Olympic Committee.
So at least he has plenty of free time now on his hands to plan a wedding.
He reportedly met Reid at a Los Angeles nightclub in January.
He later told USA Today that it didn’t take him long to realize that she was very, very special.
"From the very first time I met her, everything has like clicked,” Ryan told the newspaper, adding:
"That’s why I know I can propose to her because everything that’s happened and she’s been keeping me so positive. She doesn’t care about my fame. She doesn’t care about anything.
"All she cares about is me being happy."
That does make her sound like a keeper.
"My family says, ‘Don’t you think it’s a little too soon?’ I’m like, ‘Can you put a time on love? Can you?’" Lochte added to USA TODAY Sports.
"When I realized this was ‘the one’ was when she stuck behind me through this. She still loves me and she’s still right there with me."
How sweet. For real!
We send our congratulations to Ryan Lochte and Kayla Rae Reid!