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 seen at the GBK pre-ESPY Luxury Lounge where Chuck Liddell, Baron Davis and Rodney Peete were seen.
Greg, 64, brought his dog with him as he posed with other athletes.
This comes three years after he filed for divorce from his estranged husband, John Chaillot.
Paperwork to dissolve the union was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2021, TMZ reported.
Greg Louganis made a rare appearance with his dog in Los Angeles on Thursday. The Olympic gold medalist was seen at 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 of the diving competition of the 1983 National Sports Festival held in Colorado Springs, Colorado
The decision to end the eight-year marriage was mutual, the website reported, and the medalist expressed gratitude for the couple's friends and supporters.
Louganis and Chaillot were first romantically connected in 2012 after they initially met on the Match dating site.
They went on to announce their engagement in June of 2013 and tied the knot later that year.
Shortly after the two decided to tie the knot, the athlete spoke to People about his desire to be with the paralegal for the rest of his life.
'I finally met my soul mate – 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.
Following the pair's nuptials, Louganis told People that their wedding had been a transformative experience.
(L-R) Gil Roberts, Louganis, Keilly and Willie Gault
The former Olympian told the media outlet, 'I already feel different. The ceremony was so reflective and representative of who we are.'
He then expressed that he had grown especially close to his husband in the relatively brief period of time that they had been together.
The athlete remarked, 'It has been an incredible journey...I feel like we’ve been through a lifetime in a very short time.'
Also at GBK was Rae Burrell at the Motiv Matcha booth
Cat Cora (L) and the Motiv Matcha founder
Cora was seen holding up a Shari Henry blazer
Rodney Peete was also seen. MEND, Aroma360, Fog Crest Vineyard’s, Jane Foodie’s and Savant Power were offered
Jock McKissic (R) at the Natural Pet Promise booth
Robert Griffin (L) and Grete Griffin at the home fragrance bar Aroma360
Stephen Kramer at the tequila booth
Prior to becoming involved with his estranged husband, Louganis was in a relationship with R. James Babbitt that lasted throughout much of the 1980s.
The former Olympian later alleged that he had been sexually assaulted at knifepoint by his former partner, from whom he eventually filed a restraining order.
Babbitt later passed away from the effects of AIDS shortly after informing the diver about his status in 1988.
The athlete found out that he had tested positive for HIV that same year, shortly before the start of the Olympics in South Korea.
Louganis' estranged husband John Chaillot filed for divorce from the former Olympic medalist in 2021; they are seen in 2018
Louganis and Chaillot initially met on the Match dating site in 2012; they are pictured at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2019
Their relationship was later expanded on in the 1997 television film Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story, which saw Mario Lopez portraying the diver.
Louganis kept the news about his condition under wraps for several years, during which his health deteriorated to the point where he began to fear that his life was coming to an end.
The diver waited for his health to significantly recover before he publicly spoke about his experience with the disease during a widely publicized 1995 interview with Barbara Walters.
He has been a vocal advocate for HIV awareness and LGBT rights ever since then, and his life and career were covered in the 2014 documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis.
Shortly after his marriage, Louganis spoke to People and told the media outlet that he and his husband have 'been through a lifetime in a very short time'; he is seen in 1982
