The Real Reason Michael Phelps & Nicole Johnson Had a Secret Wedding

Photography by: Getty Images

Last month, Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson said "I do" surrounded by friends and family in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. But shortly before their big day, TMZ revealed that the couple had actually been married for months, since before the 2016 Olympics in Rio—and now we know why! It turns out, it all came down to making the trip easier for Johnson and the son they share, six-month-old Boomer Phelps.

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"We wanted to try to make it as smooth as we could for them to travel," the 28-time Olympic medalist told USA Today on Monday night. The solution? Hold a secret wedding on June 13 in Paradise Valley, Arizona, then have a second, more formal wedding in the fall.

"It was small," Phelps said of the initial nuptials, which longtime friend and agent Peter Carlisle officiated. "It was our closest friends and family there. It was perfect."

But Phelps and Johnson didn't confirm their marriage until just before their second wedding—even dismissing rumors of already being married when Johnson wore a wedding band in Rio.


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Phelps himself confirmed reports of their marriage in an October Facebook Live. "I've been married for a while, a couple of months," he said. "I had to keep it a secret from y'all, I had to keep it hush-hush from you guys. But Nicole and I are married, we're officially married." When fans commented asking why he decided to keep it from the public, Phelps replied, "just because." Well, now we know for sure! It was because of baby Boomer.

Speaking of babies, could Boomer be a big brother soon? In the same Facebook Live, Phelps alluded to just that: "Baby number two may be coming soon," Phelps said. "Who knows, though?"

Looks like this couple will continue to keep us on our toes.