FAIRMONT, W.Va. Bodycam footage of Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton’s DUI arrest on May 17 in Marion County, West Virginia was released on July 8, 2025. According to PEOPLE magazine, the 57-year-old gymnastics great seemed to be in trouble during field sobriety tests.
A Porsche with a Texas plate was reported to be driving erratically near the center of Fairmont and the Fairmont City Police Department responded. That’s how it started. The Associated Press said court documents stated Retton was found in an AutoZone parking lot by police who noticed a screw-top wine bottle on the passenger seat of her car. Retton was slurring her words and smelled of alcohol, according to police.
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Retton is seen taking sobriety tests given by an officer in the bodycam footage obtained by Entertainment Tonight. She had trouble balancing, especially during a test where she had to count while raising one foot six inches above the ground. She hesitated after nine and said “Oh my God” when it happened. Because her lungs were scarred and she needed oxygen therapy every day after getting pneumonia in 2023, she would stop to put an oxygen tube in her nose.
The situation was complicated by Retton’s medical issues. She told PEOPLE in 2024 it was a “lifetime” process and “My lungs are so scarred. It will take a lifetime to get over it. All I had was my physical body and it was taken away from me. It’s shameful.” Her struggle to breathe was evident during the arrest showing the ongoing effects of her illness.
Despite following the officer’s instructions, Retton was charged with misdemeanor DUI after failing the field sobriety tests and declining a breathalyzer. She was released on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond. Retton pleaded no contest to a non-aggravated DUI on June 10 and the $100 fine was the typical fine for first time offenders in the jurisdiction.
Through her lawyer Edmund J. Rollo, Retton released a statement saying, “What happened was totally unacceptable. I make no excuses. To my family, my friends and my followers: I let you down and I’m sorry. I will make positive changes in my life and I will learn and grow from this.
The bodycam video has gotten a lot of responses, with fans saying they didn’t want to see the Olympic hero in this situation. Despite her historic achievements, Retton, a 5-time Olympic medalist and beloved personality, still faces health and personal issues in the public eye.
