Olympian Mary Lou Retton Reflects on "New Lease on Life" After Nearly Dying | PEOPLE 

She did interviews earlier this year on oxygen where she didn’t sound like this though…

@@qprtplx2105 yes, and she did interviews where she was clearly altered well before this whole health scare

She’s medicated.

@@stephaniezehler2986exactly

Watch her mouth when she speaks. It almost seems like she had a stroke. Either that and/or medication.

Her spirit does, too.

@@wendystjean4678 I said the same thing. The blatant disrespect that people are showing her is sickening. Forget that she’s an Olympic champion and an American icon. She’s a human being first and deserves nothing less than compassion.

Doesn't her contribution to gymnastics include trying to lobby against the protection of gymnasts in the wake of the Nassar allegations? Bela and Marta did so much damage and some of their gymnasts internalized it. Kim Zmeskal's gym is Texas Dreams aka Texas Nightmares. I don't know that Mary Lou is capable of being that person now, and I hope she understands how wrong her old self was. She's got such an aura, and if she lives the rest of her life reliving her great moments, she deserves to be heard. She was a victim of the Karolyis in a way. Body shaming etc. Maybe she's healing that trauma as best she can considering the lateness of her chance of an epiphany.

That was my assessment too. It was irresponsible for People to air this.

You don’t know that. She almost freaking died and it’s probably effects from the brain damage etc.

I think it's effects from lack of oxygen over time. Even though her manerisms seem off her words and sentences flow well and make sense. If she was messed up she would slur and say things that dont make sense or talk off topic which she didn't.

@@user-xg8hq1fc1c agree. Lack of oxygen to brain and respiratory issues might make anyone’s speech impacted

💯!!!! Even if they did the interview People mag knows better to publish something like this…but it will gain attention. All about the clicks.

And maybe this changed her. Lots of people change. Do you want to be held prisoner to YOUR past? It's not a final record until it's all over.

Who are you to judge others.

@@chocdavethat wasn’t a mistake she made, it was a conscious decision.

@extra_ice_girl Oh come on, YOU'VE made conscious decisions you later realized were bad mistakes. Shall we talk about all our romantic decisions? And after near-death, she's re-thinking things as you always do after that and this might be one of them

There was a lot of info unavailable at the time, and certainly would NOT have condoned it had she known. She made the statement she did with the info she had at the time. She isn’t complicit.

I thought the same thing but I was afraid to post because of trolls coming for me. Loopy is the word - who knows!

I agree, something seems off with this interview. Maybe a side effect to some of the medications she may still be on?

Yes. Really off. Very exaggerated responses that she can barely pronounce

Looks almost as though she's experiencing tremors in addition to the slurred speech. It has me wondering if she sustained neurological damage from when she had Covid. Could have experienced hypoxia, could have experienced a stroke, etc. I don't know if we ever really found out.

@@melissac3618 she def have some weird, loopy interviews before the whole pneumonia episode

I’m shocked as well! I’m so glad she survived but, is this aging from the sickness she had?…

That’s so mean. She looks fine. She almost died! Be kind

@@unknown-lf6zxI don’t think the age reference was intended as an insult. It’s just this person’s statement of fact. Yes, what she went through was tough and it undoubtedly took a toll on her body. She does look older than she really is.

​@@unknown-lf6zxSadly, she looks far beyond the 56 years she is.

@@miloperrault2614she almost died. Give her a freaking break please be kind.

For those of you who want to know about the REAL Mary Lou Retton. This is a first-hand account of who she really is. I can say this with full confidence, as I am a former friend. She is nothing like the smiley-faced, sweet persona she tries to portray. She is a lying, deceitful, self-centered individual with no care of compassion for others. She is the true definition of a user. This is nothing about Mary Lou’s personality that is genuine. I am sure there is not a single fan out there who loves Mary Lou, more than Mary Lou loves herself. She is more than happy to continuously talk about her accomplishments, and remind you who she is and what she’s done. In all my conversations with her, I can’t remember her ever asking, “How are you”? It all about Mary Lou. If you believe she had “Pneumonia”, I have a bridge I would like to sell you. She is an Anti-Vaxxer who refuses to admit the real reason behind her illness. For someone who preaches the word of God so much, she would walk the walk instead of lying to everyone she comes in contact with.

For those of you who want to know about the REAL Mary Lou Retton. This is a first-hand account of who she really is. I can say this with full confidence, as I am a former friend. She is nothing like the smiley-faced, sweet persona she tries to portray. She is a lying, deceitful, self-centered individual with no care of compassion for others. She is the true definition of a user. This is nothing about Mary Lou’s personality that is genuine. I am sure there is not a single fan out there who loves Mary Lou, more than Mary Lou loves herself. She is more than happy to continuously talk about her accomplishments, and remind you who she is and what she’s done. In all my conversations with her, I can’t remember her ever asking, “How are you”? It all about Mary Lou. If you believe she had “Pneumonia”, I have a bridge I would like to sell you. She is an Anti-Vaxxer who refuses to admit the real reason behind her illness. For someone who preaches the word of God so much, she would walk the walk instead of lying to everyone she comes in contact with.

Well you sure are bitter and over what?

It’s alcohol… that’s why she looks so aged

She's really aged a lot. Her illness must have taken a toll on her.

I know! Shady! That rubs me the wrong way considering that she's made between 4-8 million $$. Even the lowest income families have insurance!

She certainly thinks very highly of herself. I thought it was all nonsense when the daughters went to the media. Shameful.

I don’t know what her financial distraction was, but she didn’t have insurance and votes Republican, so she’s not into the government providing for healthcare. She’s fortunate in that she has fans who would help her out. Millions of Americans don’t and many of them go bankrupt due to out-of-control healthcare bills from greedy corporations.

Her husband spent her all money!!