The six-time Olympic medalist was arrested in Idaho on June 6 on charges of drug possession
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NEED TO KNOW
- Bode Miller was arrested in Idaho on June 6 for misdemeanor drug possession and paraphernalia charges
- In a statement on Instagram on June 23, Miller claimed the cannabis he was found with belonged to a friend traveling with him and expressed his hope that the charges would be dropped
- The Olympian and his wife, Morgan, have six children and lost their daughter Emeline in a 2018 drowning accident
Bode Miller is speaking out following his arrest for drug possession earlier this month.
On June 6, the alpine ski racer, 48, was arrested in Idaho on two misdemeanor charges, one for possession of a controlled substance and another for possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, June 23.
The Olympian was subsequently released on a $5,000 cash bond, and four days later, he pleaded not guilty to both charges, per the court records.
On the evening of June 23, the sports star posted a short statement to his Instagram account expressing his hope that the “misdemeanor charges would be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”
Giving his side of the story, Miller explained that he was “pulled over for accelerating while passing another vehicle on a highway in Idaho.”
“My friend, who was traveling with me, had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe in his possession, which I was unaware of,” he added.
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Miller also noted that he and his friend “fully cooperated with the officer.”
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Miller is one of the most decorated male skiers in history, achieving six Olympic and 79 World Cup medals before his retirement from the sport in 2017. He won gold at his fourth Olympics, the 2010 Vancouver Games, and made one final Olympic appearance in Sochi in 2014, where he secured bronze.
Credit: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP via Getty
He and his wife, Morgan Miller, are parents to six children, along with their daughter Emeline, who died in a pool drowning incident in a neighbor's pool in June 2018, when she was just 19 months old.
Just days after Bode's arrest, Morgan reshared two Instagram Stories from midwife Lindsey Meeheis, reminding parents about the importance of water safety to mark the 8th anniversary of Emeline's death.
"8 years ago today, this angel was stolen from us! When I scream from the rooftops to get your kids watersafe… this is MY WHY!" Meeheis wrote under the picture.
Meanwhile, marking the fifth anniversary of her death in 2023, Miller shared a social media tribute to Emeline, writing that the little girl was meant to “change the world.”
"Emmy was fearless, determined and fierce from the moment she was born," he continued. "We miss you Emmy. 19 months was never going to be long enough to hold you in our arms."
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He also addressed the tragedy while taking part in season 2 of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test in 2023.
Describing the incident as "brutal," Miller tearfully explained that the toddler "let herself out the back door and jumped right into our neighbor's pool."
When asked how he "deals with something like that," Miller replied, "It does not go away."
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