Mary Lou Retton gets candid about her divorce news following ‘DWTS’ elimination (exclusive)

Mary Lou Retton is not letting her recent setback bring her down.

During Monday night’s Dancing With the Stars, the 50-year-old former Olympic gymnast opened up about her painful divorce from husband Shannon Kelley after 27 years of marriage. She then took to the stage to perform a tango with her partner, Sasha Farber.

But the dance wasn’t enough to keep Retton safe and she was eliminated later that evening. ET’s Katie Krause spoke with Retton right after her elimination where she remained positive about the future.

“I knew it was coming soon,” she admitted. “I’m okay with it. Every time we came out on this dance floor, I gave it my all. I have no regrets.”

Calling Farber her “brother for life,” Retton added, “He taught me so much, taught me how to dance, also taught me a lot of about life and that woman I was searching for when I first arrived here, I found her and it feels good.”

Renton said she’s now ready for a “fresh start,” saying that sharing her story makes her “feel lighter.”

It was important for her to open up about her divorce in such a public way.

“I had a platform to do it and I had been talking about all my struggles, and I was just very general,” she explained. “I was dancing and hoping to inspire women that was kind of my group that I was focused on, and I hope that helping someone out there tonight just by sharing my story.”

As for returning to the dating world, Retton said she’ll have to see.

“I am open to it, of course,” she noted.