"There definitely were times where I hated him" - When Michael Phelps' wife opened up about their on-and-off relationship before marriage

Michael Phelps met his wife Nicole Johnson in 2007 and the couple dated on and off for several years before tying the knot in 2016. Nicole once spoke about their relationship before marriage, saying there were times when she hated the Olympic swimmer.

Phelps made history in 2000 after becoming the youngest male American, 15, to qualify for the Olympics since 1932. While he went medal-less on debut, Phelps went rampant at the 2004 Games, winning a staggering six gold and two bronze medals.

Before winning a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he met his wife Nicole Phelps at the 2007 ESPY Awards, where she was supposed to be his escort. The couple instantly hit it off but the road to their engagement in 2015 wasn't a smooth one.

They dated on and off before their final split in 2011. Phelps made the first move for reunion in 2014 and they would eventually get engaged in 2015. Recalling their split, Nicole told Cosmopolitan in 2016 that if they had tried to marry earlier, it wouldn't have worked for them.

"Michael and I both know that had we tried to have a child and get married in the previous time we were together, it probably would not have ended pretty. We both had a lot of growing up to do,” she said.

The 2010 Miss California also recalled the years of their separation between 2011 and 2014, claiming there were times when she hated Phelps.

"There definitely were times, and I think Michael would say the same thing, where I hated him. We were at odds at times. Even when I loathed him, there were still times when I was like, "God, I wish I was with him'," she said.

The couple welcomed their first child in May 2016, just a month before their private wedding in June. They would hold two more wedding ceremonies over the next few months following Phelps' retirement after the Rio Olympics, where he finished with a record 23 gold medals.

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Nicole Phelps didn't want to escort Michael Phelps at the 2007 ESPY Awards

VIP Guests At Olympic Games Paris 2024: Michael Phelps in attendance with newborn son Nico and wife Nicole Phelps (Source: Getty)

A decade after meeting her for the first time at the 2007 ESPY Awards, Michael Phelps revealed at the 2017 edition that his wife Nicole Phelps wanted to escort race car driver Danica Patrick instead of him.

"My wife was my escort here 10 years ago, [when] she was working with ESPN. It's funny, she always tells the story like, 'I wanted somebody different,' and I was like, 'Oh, thanks honey, really, really like that. She's like, 'Everything works out for a reason'," Michael Phelps said (as quoted by People).

The couple are parents to four sons, Nico, Boomer, Maverick and Beckett Richard. While Boomer was born before their marriage, Beckett and Maverick arrived in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Nico was welcomed earlier this year in January.