Ryan Lochte Moves in with Girlfriend and Her 3 Kids for New ‘Blended Family’ 7 Months After Ex Announced Divorce (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Ryan Lochte and his girlfriend have moved in together, he tells PEOPLE exclusively

• The 12-time Olympic medalist and Molly Gillihan now have a “blended” family, he says

• Lochte, 41, shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday, four months after his ex alleged in court documents that Ryan used drugs in front of their children

Ryan Lochte is moving on — and moving in with his new girlfriend.

The 12-time Olympic medalist has moved into a new home with Molly Gillihan, he tells PEOPLE exclusively — and says it’s “the right next step.”

“Everything I’ve done over the last 10 months has been about my kids and becoming the best father I can be for them,” Lochte, 41, tells PEOPLE. “That meant doing the work — going to rehab, rededicating my life to Christ, going to therapy and making changes that put my children first.”

He adds, “Because of that growth, I’m grateful to now have my kids 50% of the time.”

The former Olympic swimmer shares son Caiden, 8, daughter Liv, 6, and daughter Georgia, 2, with estranged wife Kayla Reid Lochte.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Lochte shared two photos of himself and Gillihan inside their new residence.

Ryan Lochte/Instagram

Ryan Lochte and Molly Gillihan

“Home sweet home,” he wrote next to the images, in which they sported sweatsuit sets and posed on the floor of the living room of the house.

Kayla, 34, filed for divorce last March and made the news public on June 4 in a lengthy message on Instagram.

“Earlier this year, I made the hard decision to end my marriage after deep prayer and reflection,” she wrote at the time. “I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life. I’ve been hesitant to share until I could do so from a place of healing — not from fresh, open wounds.”

In court documents obtained in September by PEOPLE, Kayla alleged that Ryan had used drugs in front of their young children prior to the couple’s divorce.

Kayla’s filing came amid her effort to obtain full custody of the couple’s three children.

“Shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children because [Ryan] has a history of substance abuse and, upon information and belief, he is still abusing illegal controlled substances,” Lochte’s estranged wife wrote in the court filing.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Ryan refuted Kayla’s claims that he did drugs in front of their children.

“I am not denying that I used drugs in my home, but I adamantly deny ever using drugs in front of or around my children, and I have never driven them while intoxicated,” he said. “At times, I would rest in my truck instead of going inside — not because I was impaired, but because the home environment had become overwhelming and very toxic and I needed a moment to collect myself before walking in.”

Their divorce proceedings are still ongoing.

Harry How/Getty

Ryan Lochte ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Now, four months later, Ryan says he is ready to take the next step in his new relationship — and become a “blended family.”

“I fell in love with someone who shares those same values and who has three children of her own,” he tells PEOPLE. “Together, we’re a family of six kids. She’s my best friend, our kids have formed an incredible bond, and it became clear that being together under one roof was the right next step for all of us.”

He adds, “We needed a bigger home to support our blended family, and we’re focused on creating a loving, stable environment for all of our children.”

Read the original article on People