Olympic ice dance champion Gabriella Papadakis has revealed that she will not be providing commentary for NBC during the upcoming Winter Olympics due to a dispute with her former skating partner regarding her newly released book.
In an interview with L’Equipe, Papadakis explained that NBC made the decision after her ex-partner, Guillaume Cizeron, contested the content of her book, “So as Not to Disappear.” Cizeron took legal action to stop the spread of what he deemed defamatory statements about him, leading NBC to question Papadakis’ neutrality as a commentator.
Expressing her disappointment, Papadakis shared that losing the opportunity to pursue a new career path as a commentator has been challenging for her. She acknowledged NBC’s stance but expressed a sense of injustice over the situation.
In her book, Papadakis detailed the challenges she faced in her relationship with Cizeron, describing it as unbalanced and expressing feelings of fear and being controlled. She elaborated on their dynamics in the interview, highlighting the difficulties that arose when she sought equality in the partnership.
Despite their successful competitive history, which includes Olympic and world championship titles, Papadakis and Cizeron are now at odds over the book’s contents. Cizeron has refuted the allegations made against him and criticized the timing of the book’s release in relation to his return to competitive skating with Laurence Fournier Beaudry.
Papadakis clarified that the book’s publication date was set before Cizeron’s comeback announcement, emphasizing that the timing was coincidental. Fournier Beaudry, who transitioned from representing Canada to France, will now partner with Cizeron for the upcoming Olympics, where they are expected to be strong contenders.