Mary Lou Retton Releases Statement After Last Month’s DUI Charge

The Olympic gold medalist said she is "committed to making positive changes" in her life.

Former Olympic gymnastic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton at the 2014 P&G Championships. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Last month, Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Mary Lou Retton received a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence and was arrested. As of Tuesday, Retton pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and she was fined $100 from a Marion County, W. Va., judge.

Retton's attorney Edmund J. Rollo released a statement from the 57-year-old to the Los Angeles Times this week.

“What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,” Retton said. “To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry. I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life. I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support.”

Retton was stopped by police in Fairmont, W. Va., on May 17 after they got a report about a Porsche"driving erratically," via the Associated Press. When police showed up, Retton was noticeably slurring her words and smelled of alcohol. There was even a bottle of wine in her passenger seat, according to the criminal complaint. She refused a roadside breath test and a blood test, and then failed her field sobriety test. She was arrested, but was later released after paying a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.

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