Who is Klete Keller's ex-wife? Olympian Capitol rioter threatened to rape Cari Sherill
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller, who pleaded guilty last year for his role in the Capitol insurrection, had allegedly assaulted his ex-wife by pinning her against a wall and asking her if she had “ever heard of marital rape". Keller has maintained that these allegations are false.
Keller was involved in a child custody trial with his ex-partner, Cari Carr Sherrill, in 2020. Sherrill testified that Keller had told her he had attempted to kill himself after taking out a life insurance policy that covered suicide, as a “last resort because… he couldn’t keep a job.” Sherrill was awarded sole legal custody but the judge wrote that Keller was “the epitome of a ‘fun’ dad” and was a “fit and proper person to have visitation.”
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In December 2020, authorities responded to a report of “custody issues” at Sherrill’s home. A court filing claimed that Keller allegedly became “ugly, demeaning, and threatening” when he arrived for a scheduled visit and realized that one of his sons was not going to leave with him. His “verbal attacks,” according to the filing, continued “throughout the weekend.”
Who is Cari Sherill?
Cari Sherrill, or Cari Carr Sherrill, is a real estate businesswoman. She has also served as the executive director at Sherrill Residence. She has previously worked at Keller Williams Realty Lake Norman-Cornelius.
Sherrill attended Dexter High School Michigan. In 2008, the mother-of-four graduated from Eastern Michigan University with BS in Heathcare Administration. Her Instagram bio reads "Wife of a Carolina boy, mom of FOUR, dog lover, decor obsessor, licensed NC realtor & listing hustler for The Sarver Group."
Keller married Sherrill in 2008, and the pair divorced in 2015. In 2013, Sherrill moved their children to North Carolina, and Keller was supposed to have regular visitation with them. Keller reportedly moved around from Maryland to California, staying with relatives. He hardly ever checked in with the children, except for 'some phone calls and a couple of e-mails and texts.' He continued to pay child support when he was homeless in North Carolina for about 10 months. "He struggled greatly with finding out who he was as a person without swimming as his primary purpose," records show. He became so estranged from his kids at one point that they began calling him Mr. Klete' or 'Uncle Klete'.
Keller rioted at the Capitol
An earlier video showed Keller among the crowd that was resisting the Capitol cops trying to clear the rotunda. Keller’s former teammates and coaches have identified the swimmer from the riots. The 6-foot-6 man is donning a team jacket with “USA” printed on the back and down the sleeves. Keller was a part of the American relay team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, with former swimming champion Michael Phelps. While no video was really conclusive, many who know him have “expressed surprise at his presence in Washington.” His deleted social media accounts allegedly had pro-Trump messages.
Keller won medals at three Olympics, including golds at the 2004 Athens Games and Beijing Games in 2008. He was teammates with the 28-time gold medalist Michael Phelps in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay in Athens and set a record by racing another swimming legend, Australian Ian Thorpe, to win by 0.13 seconds. In 2018, Keller revealed that he was “homeless” and living out of his car for months. In an interview from 2014, he said that he wasn’t aware of the whereabouts of his Olympic medals and failed to find success after retirement from the sport. He made a living for himself for some time by giving swimming lessons and operating swim clinics. Similar to Keller's former teammates and coaches, social media users also seem to be shocked by his presence in the Capitol, when pro-Trump protestors stormed the House of Congress, with some demanding action against him.