Mary Lou Retton Reveals That She Is Divorced On 'Dancing With The Stars'

The Olympic gymnast and Shannon Kelley made their split final in February, she said.
|

Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton revealed on Monday night that she and Shannon Kelley got divorced after 27 years of marriage.

Appearing on “Dancing With the Stars,” Retton said, “I went through a divorce. People don’t know that. It’s the first time I’ve actually said it publicly.”

The news of the February divorce was first reported by People magazine, which got an exclusive “sneak peek” video.

Retton married Shannon Kelley in 1990. He is an assistant head football coach at Houston Baptist University. The couple has four daughters.

Open Image Modal
Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelley after their wedding in 1990.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Retton said she and Kelley had parted amicably. “It’s something that had really needed to happen for a long time,” she said. “We still love one another, but we weren’t great together anymore.”

She added that her daughters had helped her through the divorce. 

“Thank God for my four girls,” said Retton, who won the all-round gymnastics gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. “They loved me unconditionally.” 

Later in the “Dancing With the Stars” show, Retton faced another ending when she and her dance partner, Sasha Farber, were eliminated from the competition. 

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go