"What if I never had chance to actually tell her how I felt?" - When Michael Phelps opened up about initial hesitation to express feelings for wife

Michael Phelps has been married to former model Nicole Johnson since 2016. In July 2022, the swimming legend opened up on his hesitation before the marriage, and why marrying Johnson wasn't a cakewalk for him.

The couple gave an interview to Brides, where they talked about their relationship, which began in 2007. When asked about how the two reconciled after bumpy phases, Johnson replied:

"It always came back to my question of 'What if?' with Michael. I could never see myself with anyone else. There’s nobody else that gets me the way that Michael does. We live a healthy, competitive life daily. Every morning when we wake up, whoever says, 'I love you more' first wins for the day — and we’ve been doing this for a couple of years now."

Phelps added that he hesitated to express his feelings to his future wife.

"For me, it was 'What if I never had a chance to actually tell her how I felt?'" Michael Phelps said. "The only thing that I could do was just say that, and we got back together. I think we’re both pretty stubborn people at times, [but] we work really well together. We’re joking around constantly. We’ve always seen it as 'If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.' And I guess it’s meant to be."

The couple married in a secret ceremony in June 2016, a few months before Phelps' final appearance at the Rio Olympics, and have four children.

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Nicole Phelps on Michael Phelps being vulnerable and seeking transparency in the relationship

Nicole Phelps (L) with Michael Phelps at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source: Getty]

Nicole Johnson has been extremely supportive of her husband Michael Phelps, especially during his struggles with mental health. She opened up on his vulnerable side in an interview with Maria Shiver's Sunday Paper a few months after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Miss California USA said:

"I think the vulnerability that Michael's talking about is being able to walk over to somebody and say, 'Hey, I'm going to be vulnerable with you right now. This is what I'm feeling. This is what I experienced. And I need you to hear it.' I think that's what a lot of Michael and my work together has been. Learning to let go of things that happened in the past to allow us a happier, better, and easier future."

Johnson is an ambassador at the Michael Phelps Foundation, an NGO that promotes water safety, wellness, and physical and mental health.