Ryan Lochte's agent has revealed why the Olympic swimmer decided to join the cast of Celebrity Big Brother's second season on CBS.
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"I thought it would be nice for the 10 million people that regularly watch the show to get to see who Ryan is."
Ryan, 34, is a decorated professional swimmer who has been involved in his fair share of headline-making incidents and scandals over the last five years.
"People who want to see Ryan -- what they think, he's a party animal, crazy person. That's not what they're going to see and that's not what Ryan is," Jeff explained of the athlete, whose former wild lifestyle was documented on the E! reality series What Would Ryan Lochte Do? for one season back in 2013.
"And, in fact, he made a commitment to change his lifestyle a little bit and sought a little bit of help for alcohol and he doesn't party like that."
Ryan recently entered the Big Brother house and began filming just a few short months after completing a rehab stint for alcohol abuse -- an outpatient program that "went very well," according to his agent.
Ryan sought treatment and therapy for his addiction in October 2018 after police were reportedly called to his hotel in California following an incident.
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"It was something that he voluntarily wanted to do even though many professionals would suggest that he didn't necessarily need to," Jeff told People of Ryan. "He needed to kind of take control over himself and his decisions better."
Ryan also surprisingly chose to participate in Celebrity Big Brother despite the fact he's currently training for the next Summer Olympics.
"Ryan always goes into everything to win. His mindset is to win," Jeff said, adding that CBS agreed to provide a pool large enough for the swimmer to train in.
RELATED LINK: 'BIG BROTHER' SHOWMANCES NOW"I think he's going in there to try and win the game but not at the expense of making himself look foolish or doing things that are contrary to the type of person that Ryan is."
Ryan, however, is currently waiting out a 14-month ban from U.S. Swimming that was issued last year after he received an illegally large IV infusion, People reported.
Ryan was well on his way to the Tokyo Summer Games in 2020 when he was barred from competition.
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Ryan therefore seems to view Celebrity Big Brother as a vehicle that will provide him with another comeback in America's eyes.
The athlete attempted a similar feat when he competed on Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars in Fall 2016 and was hoping to dance his way back into people's hearts.
Ryan was reeling from negative publicity and backlash stemming from his big 2016 Summer Olympics scandal in Rio de Janeiro.
The gold medalist had fabricated a story about being robbed and held on gunpoint when, in actuality, he vandalized a gas station's bathroom with the help of three swimming teammates.
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Ryan reportedly turned down Celebrity Big Brother once before, but 2019 just seemed like the right time to thrust himself back into the spotlight.
He will be competing against 11 other celebrities to win $250,000, and multiple episodes of Celebrity Big Brother will air weekly until the February 13 finale.
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Despite his turbulent past, Jeff told People that Ryan has a lot to be happy about at this stage in his life.
Ryan wed former Playboy model Kayla Rae Reid in September 2018, and they are parents of Caiden Zane, seven months. The couple is also expecting a baby girl this summer.
"They're super excited, they always wanted to have two children," Jeff shared, before adding Ryan "couldn't be happier" to have another baby and become a father to a little girl.
As far as Ryan's strategy goes for trying to win the game of Celebrity Big Brother, Jeff insisted the swimmer didn't want to over-think things.
"You're thrown into that experiment," Ryan's agent told the magazine.
"My advice is, 'Go in and be yourself, obviously be mindful that unlike the rest of our life they're going to watch everything you do. Just be you' -- and I know he'll be fine if he's him."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
