Michael Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist, posted via Instagram the news that their father had passed away.
Phelps, 37, from the United States, posted some throwback photos on Monday, October. 24 shows him with his father over the years. He wrote in the comments, “You’ll always be my dad… And I’ll always be your son… Love you dad, and I will miss you” and then punctuated with two heart-shaped emojis in the comments “rip dad.”
The fellow Olympian Lindsey Vonn left well wishes in the comment section, noting, “I’m so sorry for your loss. He will always be there.”
The photos offer a lovely background to the Michael Phelps and Fred Phelps’ relationship, which has evolved over the years. One picture shows the elder Phelps holding one of his grandchildren (Michael, with spouse Nicole are parents to three sons with them, Boomer, 6; Beckett, 4 and Maverick, three).
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Another picture shows Michael with one of his kids while an enthralled Fred watches.
The primary image on the Instagram carousel features the young Michael Phelps with his dad, who is sporting the Maryland state trooper uniform.
Fred Phelps and his son were in a relationship that was strained for a long time, as per an account that appeared in Sports Illustrated, following his divorce in 1994 from Debbie Phelps when Michael was 9. However, they maintained contact throughout their time via text. In 2014, when the swimmer went through rehabilitation following his arrest for the drunk driver, the father came to visit the swimmer and began to communicate again.
In 2016 the younger Phelps stated in Sports Illustrated: “Our relationship is really great, and it’s continuing to grow. We’ve learned that we have a lot in common.”
