Michael's first major relationship in the spotlight was with model Megan Rossee, and though the two weren't linked until August 2012 — which is when they made their red carpet debut at a Speedo event — a source for E! News claimed the two started dating five months before that. "Megan and Michael have been taking things slow leading up to the Olympics, but they are excited to spend more time together outside of his training," the insider claimed at the time.
In December 2012, TMZ broke the news of the couple's split after less than a year of dating, and not long after, Michael seemingly confirmed the breakup himself on Twitter. "Things happen for a reason. #notme," he cryptically tweeted, while Megan shared a quote that read, "A woman's loyalty is tested when her man has nothing. A man's loyalty is tested when he has everything."