Michael Phelps is so fast in the water, that if you blink you might miss him flying down the lane and back again. And if you somehow did miss ever summer Olympiad this century, then the only proof you need is the 28 medals he has to his name, making him the most-decorated Olympian of all time. If you haven’t been paying close attention to the swimmer, though, then there’s something else you might have missed: he’s married!
Yes, Michael Phelps wed 2010 Miss California Nicole Johnson back in June – but it was a big secret! The pair quietly tied the knot in Paradise Valley, AZ on June 13 away from the public eye. It was so secretive, in fact, that it didn’t even make headlines until October! But when you’re rich and famous, there’s no need to restrict your nuptials to just one private ceremony, and Phelps and Johnson didn’t. The couple got married again recently, this time on a beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Married…Again
For the second wedding, Nicole Johnson wore a gorgeous custom gown from designer Julie Vino with cap sleeves and an illusion neckline, and its sparkling embroidery gave off an almost royal appearance. Johnson accessorized the look with diamond jewelry and a crown headpiece, her hair tied back to put the ornamentation on full display. Meanwhile, Michael Phelps went with a handsome light gray tuxedo.
Since their marriage was no longer a secret, the couple didn’t shy away from sharing details on social media. Taking to Instagram, Johnson wrote that it was “Truly the happiest day of my life @m_phelps00 thank you @boonestudios for capturing this day 😘”
Phelps did some social posting too. He shared a photo of himself and Johnson as they made their way down the aisle. “My best friend,” he wrote. “I love you!!”
The couple actually shared with People during the Rio Olympics back in August that a date had been set for their big day, but they slyly avoided mentioning that they were in fact already married. It would seem Phelps is as slippery out of the water as he is in it!
“I really can’t wait to get married. It will be a small destination wedding later this year. It’s the next big milestone I’m looking forward to,” Phelps told People while surely laughing to himself a bit about his big secret.
The Secret Marriage
There’s something so mysterious and intriguing about “secret” celebrity weddings that just makes us have to know every single detail about them, isn’t there? And it’s OK to want to know – we understand. So let’s dig in!
Agent and close friend Peter Carlisle, who can often be found sharing photos of Phelps, Johnson and the couple’s baby Boomer on his Instagram account, served as the officiant for the Arizona wedding. TMZ (who else?) was the first to break the news that the couple had married outside of the public eye. But even TMZ, famed for breaking celebrity news the second it happens, didn’t get the scoop until October, four months after the ceremony.
Once the jig was up, Phelps and Johnson fully embraced the spotlight their celebrity marriage brought. Johnson changed her Instagram name to Mrs. Nicole Phelps and began sharing photos of the couples’ second marriage in Mexico just four days later.
What’s more, had anyone looked closely, they might have realized what was going on back in June. “Such a memorable night with my liil fambam,” Johnson posted on Instagram following what, unbeknownst to the public at the time, had been her wedding. “Boomer obviously didn’t want to hold still.”
The Relationship
Phelps and Johnson began dating all the way back in 2007 after meeting at ESPN’s ESPYs award show. As it is with most people’s relationships, though, it wasn’t just straight, smooth-sailing to the wedding. Most couples have ups and downs in their relationships – even famous couples. So it was with Phelps and Johnson: they broke things off in 2011 and took a really extended break before getting back together again in 2014.
But when they got back together, they got serious. Fast. The next February they were engaged, and Phelps shared pictures of the couple rolling around in the snow with the caption “She said yes.” Less than a year and a half later in May of 2016, Johnson gave birth to the couple’s firstborn, son Boomer.
Cubic Zirconia Jewelry
Twenty-eight Olympic medals is a hardware haul that quite literally everyone but Phelps can only dream of. But while everyone can’t be the most-decorated Olympian of all time, everyone can have jewelry every bit as gorgeous as Mrs. Phelps’ collection. Thanks to a process known as the “Russian Formula,” high-quality cubic zirconia jewelry looks identical to real diamonds. That means you get all the sparkle and luster without all the dollar signs, and no one will even be able to tell the difference with the naked eye.