French ice dance star Gabriella Papadakis, the Olympic gold medalist, has opened up about how a fraught professional relationship shaped the end of her competitive skating career and cast a long shadow over her post‑skating plans.
Papadakis, who with longtime partner Guillaume Cizeron became one of ice dance’s most decorated duos—including Olympic gold in 2022—reveals in her memoir So as Not to Disappear that the dynamic with Cizeron grew deeply unbalanced over time, with psychological strain and “controlling” behavior taking a toll on her well‑being.
Though their competitive partnership concluded in 2024, Papadakis says the impact carried into her next career move.
After retirement, she had been slated to work as an Olympic commentator for NBC, but the network pulled her from the Milan‑Cortina Games’ coverage after Cizeron publicly challenged her memoir’s claims, calling them defamatory and triggering legal action.
Papadakis describes stepping away from competition not simply as a career decision, but as a necessary act of self‑preservation amid a system she views as skewed by tradition and power imbalances—especially for women in a discipline historically structured around male leadership.
The fallout has sparked broader debate within the figure skating community, where fans and fellow athletes are weighing her candid revelations against the ongoing success of Cizeron—now competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a new partner—and tensions around how athletes’ personal and professional legacies intersect.
Papadakis continues to advocate for change in the sport, emphasizing mental health, equity, and respect for athletes’ voices as she navigates her life beyond the competitive rink.
