Mary Lou Retton was recently arrested for driving under the influence. The revered Olympic gymnast’s mugshot and as well as bodycam footage of her arrest, have now been released.
On May 17, the authorities arrested Mary Lou Retton in Marion County, West Virginia. The former Olympian was charged with DUI given her state at the moment. The arrest took place after Retton was spotted sitting in her car at the Marion County AutoZone parking lot with a wine bottle.
Retton is suspected to have drunk from the wine bottle in her passenger seat prior to her arrest. In the bodycam footage that the police released, Mary can be seen struggling with a sobriety test.
She was pulled over for potentially driving under the influence, after which she tried to convince the authorities that she was not drunk. The bodycam footage obtained and released by Entertainment Tonight shows how the interaction went down.
In a statement, Retton agreed to take “full responsibility” for her actions. “What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,” she noted after her arrest.
The bodycam footage that is 33 minutes long shows Retton clearly being under the influence while she tries to convince the authorities otherwise. “They think I’m drunk,” Retton can be heard saying in the footage.
Mary Lou Retton’s DUI mugshot has been released.
This is so sad! 👇 pic.twitter.com/z1gJ8FIA9b
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) July 8, 2025
At the beginning of the footage, the Olympian is seen being frustrated with an officer who is guiding her through a sobriety test. “Oh my God,” she is heard complaining as gasps and sighs in frustration. She is seen struggling clearly when the officer asks her to lift her foot up six inches and count until she’s asked to stop.
She keeps getting the test wrong, appearing visibly more frustrated as each moment passes. At some point during the test, the 57-year-old starts breathing heavily, which prompts her to get her oxygen. She then ties the tube to her nose and continues the sobriety test.
Mary Lou Retton is best known for winning a gold medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The retired gymnast also bagged two silver and two bronze medals at the 1984 Olympics.
Mary Lou Retton was America’s sweetheart a little over 40 years ago.
Here’s context for those of you just hearing about her due to recent developments. pic.twitter.com/qDg0MwNU6H
— Man Cave Sports (@ManCaveSports_1) July 8, 2025
Retton was given a $100 penalty and charged “for driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties.” She also noted what she did was “completely unacceptable.” She apologised to her family, friends, and fans for letting them down with her behaviour.
The gymnast who previously suffered from pneumonia in 2023 almost did not make it out alive. In an interview with People, she previously mentioned how it had been “really heard.” Mary added, “My lungs are so scarred. It will be a lifetime of recovery.”
