Michael Phelps has announced some unfortunate family news.
Phelps revealed in an Instagram post on Monday that his father, Fred, has died. The 23-time Olympic gold medalist shared some old photos of his father.
“You’ll always be my dad … And I’ll always be your son … Love you dad and I will miss you rip dad,” Phelps wrote.
Phelps’ parents got divorced when he was young, which resulted in a strained relationship between him and his father. Many fans took note of the fact that Fred was not at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when Michael was dominating in the pool. According to a 2016 article in Sports Illustrated, the two began to repair their relationship after Michael checked into rehab following his second DUI arrest in 2014.
Fred, a former Maryland State Trooper, played college football at Fairmont State College in West Virginia. He tried out for the then-Washington Redskins in the 1970s.
