NBC Removes Olympic Champion Gabriella Papadakis from Winter Games Coverage Following Controversial Book Release
In a significant development just weeks before the Winter Olympics, NBC has terminated its agreement with Olympic ice dance champion Gabriella Papadakis to serve as a commentator for the upcoming games. The network's decision comes directly in response to Papadakis publishing a new book that contains critical revelations about her former skating partner, Guillaume Cizeron, who will be competing in Italy with a new partner.
Conflict of Interest Concerns Prompt Network Action
NBC explained its position in a formal statement provided to Sportico, emphasizing its commitment to unbiased coverage. The network stated, "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. 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."
The decision represents a major professional setback for Papadakis, who retired from competitive skating in December 2024 and was beginning what she hoped would be a new career in broadcasting. The 30-year-old French athlete expressed deep disappointment about losing this opportunity, telling sports daily L'Équipe, "I'm not dealing with it very well, I've cried a lot. I was super disappointed because I was just beginning that career as a commentator."
Contentious Allegations in "So as Not To Disappear"
Papadakis's book, titled "So as Not To Disappear," contains serious allegations about her professional relationship with Cizeron, with whom she achieved remarkable success including:
- Gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
- Silver medal at a previous Olympic Games
- Five world championship titles
- Five European championship victories
- Two Grand Prix Final wins
In her memoir, Papadakis describes Cizeron as "controlling" and "demanding," and reveals that she became afraid of being alone with him during their partnership. She elaborated further in her interview with L'Équipe, explaining, "As long as I took a backseat role while Guillaume was the leader, everything went well. It's when I wanted to be an equal in this relationship that things started to become more and more difficult."
Legal Action and Accusations of Smear Campaign
Cizeron, who will compete with new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry at the Milan Cortina Winter Games from February 6-22, has responded forcefully to the allegations. He has accused Papadakis of conducting a "smear campaign" and has taken legal action, with his lawyers issuing formal notices to cease dissemination of what he claims are defamatory statements.
Cizeron stated publicly, "In the face of the smear campaign targeting me, I want to express my incomprehension and my disagreement with the labels being attributed to me. These allegations arise at a particularly sensitive time...thereby raising questions about the underlying intentions behind this campaign." He further denied specific claims in the book, calling them "false information attributing to me, among other things, statements I have never made and which I consider serious."
Timing Controversy and Professional Consequences
Papadakis has refuted suggestions that she timed the book's release to coincide with Cizeron's Olympic participation, explaining that publication plans preceded the announcement of his return to competition. However, the controversy has already had significant professional consequences beyond her lost NBC role.
The situation highlights the complex challenges networks face when hiring former athletes as commentators, particularly when personal relationships and professional histories might create perceived or actual conflicts of interest. For Papadakis, the episode represents not just a lost broadcasting opportunity but a painful public airing of private professional struggles that defined one of figure skating's most successful partnerships.
As the Winter Olympics approach, the controversy continues to reverberate through the figure skating community, raising questions about how sports networks balance journalistic integrity with the insights former champions can provide, and how personal revelations can impact professional opportunities in the highly visible world of Olympic broadcasting.
