- The 2026 Winter Olympics kick off on Friday, Feb. 6, in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
- There’s already some behind-the-scenes drama emerging ahead of the games.
- NBC fired retired French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis from her commentating job after she dissed her ex-partner, Guillaume Cizeron, in her memoir.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo may not begin until February 6, but there’s already some behind-the-scenes drama brewing between former figure skaters.
Retired French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis was set to be a commentator for the upcoming Winter Games, but she lost out on the opportunity because of some personal beef with her ex-partner, Guillaume Cizeron.
According to Us Weekly, Gabriella published a memoir, Pour ne pas disparaître (So as Not to Disappear), in which she made brutal digs at Guillaume, who she claimed was “controlling, demanding” and “critical” during their time as figure skating partners.
The French ice dancers had been working together since they were kids and went on to break 34 records and win two Olympic medals in 2018 and 2022.
Now, Guillaume has released a statement in response to Gabriella’s memoir, which he referred to as a “smear campaign” against his character, as he feels “incomprehension and disagreement with the labels attributed to” him.
“The book contains false information, including statements I never made, which I consider serious,” he wrote, per Page Six. “For more than 20 years, I have shown deep respect for Gabriella Papadakis.”
Though the pair eventually had a falling out—or, as Guillaume says, a “gradual erosion of our bond”—he claims their working relationship “was built on equal collaboration and marked by success and mutual support.”
Because Guillaume is competing in the upcoming games with his new partner, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, Gabriella was fired from her gig as a figure skating commentator due to a conflict of interest.
“We respect Gabriella’s right to tell the story of her life and career. At the same time, her new book creates a clear conflict of interest,” NBC wrote in a statement to Sportico. “Our responsibility is to deliver coverage that our audience can trust to be free of bias—whether actual or perceived—and we regret that is no longer possible given the circumstances.”
As for Gabriella, she’s not thrilled that she’s out of a job. “I’m not dealing with it very well, I’ve cried a lot,” she told L’Équipe (via Associated Press) on January 23. “I was super disappointed because I was just beginning that career as a commentator… I’m experiencing a feeling of injustice.”
She added that her book wasn’t a premeditated move against Guillaume’s Olympics participation on her end, saying, “The publication date was already planned before the announcement of his return.”
