Olympic gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence in West Virginia on May 17, according to court records.
Retton, 57, who became the first American female gymnast to win the all-around Olympic gold in 1984, was charged with one count of “driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs” in Marion County, West Virginia, court documents show.
She was released on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond, according to court records.
TODAY has reached out to Retton’s representatives for comment.
Her arrest comes nearly two years after she was hospitalized for a rare form of pneumonia that she told TODAY in January 2024 nearly required her to be put on life support.
Mary Lou Retton became an Olympic gymnastics icon when she won the all-around gold medal at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.Focus On Sport / Getty Images
Retton’s daughters shared on a crowdfunding site in October 2023 that the Olympic great was hospitalized and “fighting for her life” in the intensive care unit.
Retton’s oldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, then shared a series of social media posts documenting her mother’s battle against pneumonia. Retton made her first public statement on Oct. 30, 2023, writing in part, “I’m with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process.”
Retton was using an oxygen apparatus to help her breathe when she spoke with Hoda Kotb on TODAY in January 2024.
“I’m a fighter and I’m not going to give up,” she said at the time.
