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Ex-Skater Papadakis Loses Commentator Gig Over Book
1 Feb
Summary
- Gabriella Papadakis' Olympic commentary role was removed by NBC.
- The decision stemmed from legal disputes over her memoir.
- Papadakis believes speaking out about abuse leads to penalties.
Olympic ice dance champion Gabriella Papadakis's anticipated role as a television commentator has ended before it began. Weeks before the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, NBC quietly removed Papadakis from its broadcast team, where she was slated to serve as an ice dance commentator.
The decision followed a legal dispute concerning Papadakis's recently published memoir. The book details her past partnership, describing it as challenging and involving feelings of control and pressure, claims her former skating partner, Guillaume Cizeron, has vehemently denied, calling them false and damaging.
NBC stated that while they respected Papadakis's right to share her story, the book created a conflict of interest. Papadakis believes the network's fear of backlash from her former partner drove the decision, questioning why those who report abuse are penalized.
She acknowledged that writing the book would impact her career, recognizing that speaking out against systemic issues often has negative consequences. The loss of the broadcasting opportunity came at a personal cost as Papadakis was beginning her post-skating career.
