Olympic legend Michael Phelps has taken the internet by storm after a tender interaction with an Instagram model at a celebrity poker event went viral.
Phelps, a father of four, joined the star-studded poker tournament in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. The event also featured former NBA player Paul Pierce, tennis sensation Taylor Fritz, and comedian Joe Gatto from “Impractical Jokers.”
While the 23-time Olympic gold medalist did not find success at the poker table, he captured attention online when he warmly embraced model India Love.
After Love executed a move in the poker game, Phelps—who had already exited the competition—returned to the table and affectionately hugged the social media influencer.
Love confidently stated, “You see me? I’m doing my damn thing. They ain’t messing with me.” In response, Phelps nodded and replied, “I see you,” maintaining his embrace of the 29-year-old.
Phelps nodded in agreement and responded: ‘I see you’, while keeping his arms wrapped around the 29-year-old.
Olympics legend Michael Phelps has gone viral over an intimate moment with an influencer
The 23-time Olympic gold medalist was seen embracing model India Love during the event
29-year-old influencer and model Love boasts 5.9 million followers on her Instagram page
The Olympics legend held onto Love for nearly a minute before eventually letting go and holding conversation with another influencer at the table.
It didn’t take long for the incident to go viral on social media, either.
One user wrote: ‘If my husband did this while i was pregnant i’d be so p***ed’.
Phelps’ wife, Nicole, is not pregnant – however she did share a throwback photo from her pregnancy with youngest son Nico just three days prior to the event.
‘Don’t he got a wife?’, another wrote on X.
‘Bro doing too much atp [at this point],’ another user said.
Meanwhile, one user wrote: ‘4 kids and a wife btw.’
The interaction even caused one user to question Phelps’ relationship status, as they wrote: ‘He not married anymore?!?!’
Just two days prior to the incident, Phelps’ wife Nicole shared a never-seen-before picture of her during pregnancy with their son Nico.
Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals including 23 golds, shares sons Boomer, 9, Beckett, 7, Maverick, 6, and Nico, with Nicole.
Fans were quick to call out the Olympics legend after a video of the incident went viral
Phelps pictured alongside wife Nicole, with whom he shares four sons with, last year
Phelps went viral after fans noted the change in his appearance since his days in the pool
Phelps went viral last week after being photographed walking through the streets on his way to the World Business Forum – with many shocked by his current appearance.
The swimming legend showed off his grown out hair for the very first time. The American, who is also an avid golfer, pulled his locks back into a bun.
Remembered by many for sporting a skin-tight pair of neoprene shorts at the Olympics, he was seen today wearing a suave white patterned shirt, complete with navy trousers and a jacket, as he walked into the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre for the talks.
He was joined by the likes of US scholar Amy Edmondson and Guy Kawasaki, an American marketing specialist.
It is unclear at present what topics he covered during the meeting, but some took to social media to heap praise on the US athlete.
