Mothers love their children unconditionally. A mother will always support her children to the best of her ability. However, sometimes, children commit acts that may impact their own and their family’s reputation. Mrs. Deborah Phelps ‘Debbie’, the mother of the winningest Olympian Michael Phelps, faced a similar predicament back in 2009.

Debbie Phelps published a memoir shortly after Michael grabbed the public’s attention. The memoir, ‘A Mother For All Seasons,’ touches on the topic of children raised by single mothers. The book also draws inspiration from Debbie’s mother, who was good at managing finances.

Which incident made Michael Phelps unable to open up to his mother?

In the memoir, Mrs. Phelps explored her son’s 2019 incident two months prior to the book launch. The 28-time Olympic medalist made the headlines in 2019 after a tabloid published a picture of Phelps smoking from a bong, a water pipe commonly used to smoke cannabis.

Speaking about the incident, Debbie said, “Yes, it’s an obstacle, a speed bump.”

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Although the mother of three did not defend her son’s actions, she was sympathetic towards him as she understood the challenges associated with fame. She even stated that she tried to talk with her son on the matter.

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Although the athlete was hesitant to discuss the topic with his mother, he gradually opened up to her.

Reflecting on the matter, Mrs. Phelps said, “There were times when he was like, ‘I don’t want to talk right now.’ And I would be like, ‘I know you don’t, but maybe we need to.“

Debbie wanted to speak with him on the matter. But she did not force it on him and gave him the time he needed.

“In a parents’ way, I kind of had to go around the barn to get the conversation going. Eventually, we were able to talk about the whole incident and process it and he was able to share with me his side,” Michael’s mother added.

Two other incidents that impacted the image of Phelps

Sometimes a person may not be ready to talk or express their views on an issue. As such, the other person should respect this choice. Phelps’ mother did just that, and she could listen to his depiction of the events.

Previously, state troopers pulled the swimmer over for failing to comply with traffic rules in the year 2004. The Flying Fish was arrested after he was found to be in an inebriated state. Moreover, he was arrested a second time for driving under the influence after exceeding the speed limit zone.

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However, the Olympian apologized for all three counts separately after each incident. And judging by his popularity, fans seem to have forgiven the athlete.