Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton was arrested for DUI on May 17, 2025, in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, after officers found her in an AutoZone parking lot with a screw-top wine bottle on the passenger seat of her Porsche. She pleaded no contest to a non-aggravated, first-offense misdemeanor the following month and was fined $100. The case is closed, with no jail time and no pending appeals.
What Happened the Night of the Arrest
Fairmont police received reports of a Porsche with Texas plates driving erratically on the Gateway Connector toward downtown. Officers found Retton parked at an AutoZone. According to the criminal complaint, they smelled alcohol on her, noticed she was slurring her words, and saw a screw-top wine container on the passenger seat.1WBOY. Mary Lou Retton Had Screw-Top Wine Bottle in Her Porsche During DUI Arrest in Fairmont, Complaint Says
Officers administered three standard field sobriety tests, all of which indicated impairment. Retton refused both a breathalyzer and a chemical blood test.1WBOY. Mary Lou Retton Had Screw-Top Wine Bottle in Her Porsche During DUI Arrest in Fairmont, Complaint Says She was charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and released the same day on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.2People. Mary Lou Retton Arrested on DUI Charge in West Virginia
The Plea and the $100 Fine
In June 2025, Retton entered a no-contest plea to a non-aggravated, first-offense DUI and was fined $100.3CNN. Mary Lou Retton Pleads No Contest to DUI Her attorney, Edmund J. Rollo, said the fine was “consistent with sentencing guidelines for first-time, non-aggravated offenses in this jurisdiction” and that Retton “made no request for special treatment.”4ABC News. Olympic Legend Mary Lou Retton Speaks for the First Time
Under West Virginia law, a first-offense DUI with a blood-alcohol concentration below 0.15 percent carries a fine of $100 to $500 and up to six months in jail, though jail time is not mandatory.5West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code §17C-5-2 The $100 Retton paid is the statutory minimum. Because she refused chemical testing, no BAC figure was recorded. No additional penalties beyond the fine have been reported, and the case appears fully resolved.
What the Body Camera Footage Shows
On July 9, 2025, the Fairmont Police Department released body camera footage in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.6FOX 8. Police Release Bodycam Footage of Mary Lou Retton DUI Arrest The video shows Retton attempting the field sobriety tests while using supplemental oxygen, which officers allowed her to keep on during the evaluation.7WDTV. Body Camera Footage of Mary Lou Retton’s DUI Arrest Released
Before the walk-and-turn, Retton told officers she was “an Olympic gold medalist in balance beam.” Her actual 1984 gold was in the individual all-around. When an officer told a colleague she had failed, she objected. She told officers her driver’s license was in Texas. Asked to take a breathalyzer, she refused, saying “they say don’t blow,” and officers warned her that refusal could carry additional consequences.8KSN. Watch: Bodycam Footage Shows DUI Arrest of Former Olympian Mary Lou Retton As officers put her in the cruiser, she exclaimed, “In Fairmont, West Virginia!”7WDTV. Body Camera Footage of Mary Lou Retton’s DUI Arrest Released
Why She Was on Oxygen
The oxygen use in the footage traces back to a severe illness in October 2023, when Retton was hospitalized for roughly a month in a Houston intensive care unit with what her medical team called a “rare form of pneumonia.” The illness left permanent scarring on her lungs, and doctors never identified a specific bacterial, fungal, or viral cause.9NBC News. Mary Lou Retton Gives Update on Health Her four daughters were called to her bedside to prepare to say goodbye.10ABC News. Mary Lou Retton’s Long Recovery 7 Months After
As of mid-2024, she was still using supplemental oxygen daily and described her lungs as “pretty scarred up” with permanent damage.9NBC News. Mary Lou Retton Gives Update on Health
Retton’s Statement
After the plea, Retton released a statement through her attorney to the Los Angeles Times. She said she took “full responsibility” and offered no excuses. “To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry,” the statement read. “I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life.”11Sports Illustrated. Mary Lou Retton DUI Statement No prior criminal record or earlier alcohol-related arrests appeared in reporting on the case.