In two decades, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron have achieved 34 world records, won two Olympic medals (one gold, one silver), six World Championship medals (five gold, one silver), and eight National Championships (seven gold, one silver). However, the partnership that once captivated audiences has since turned bitter, now more than ever right before the Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

As reported by FS Gossips, Cizeron has issued a notice via his lawyers to his former skating partner, Papadakis, for her upcoming autobiography set to release on January 15, which he labelled a “smear campaign.”

“I have chosen to entrust this matter to my lawyers and to formally request that all parties involved immediately cease the dissemination of defamatory statements against me, and I reserve the right to take any necessary legal action to protect my integrity,” read his statement.

The tension between the two stems from Papadakis’ upcoming autobiographical book, “Pour ne pas disparaître.” As per various reports from the French media, Papadakis described her partnership with Cizeron as “controlling” and “demanding” and said he had a “hold” over her. Cizeron’s behavior allegedly gave her extreme stress, which also led her to have panic attacks.

However, Papadakis’ claims go even further. She revealed that when she told Cizeron of her intention to file a complaint against one of her alleged abusers, he replied that if she did, “he would no longer want to skate with me.”

This occurred just a year before their split. However, after reading the statements from his former partner, as per French outlets, he was left “very saddened.”

Furthermore, the 31-year-old described their former relationship as “equal collaboration both athletically and personally.” Clarifying his feelings on this situation, he said, “I also denounce the content of the book ‘Pour ne pas disparaître,’ which contains false information, attributing to me statements I never made and which I consider serious.”

Recently, Cizeron also dived into their relationship, which had been on the decline for a while.

The fallout happened much before the Milano Cortina Olympic Games

The entire fallout between Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron didn’t just happen in a day. They have had troubles for a while now.

Cizeron, during an exclusive interview with L’Equipe, said, “For 20 years, I cared deeply for her (Gabriella). When someone close to you is struggling, you tend to forget about yourself. In recent years, she went through upheavals and several bouts of depression. All I could do was be there for her and empathize.”

Furthermore, he revealed how Papadakis wasn’t able to train for longer hours, but still, he kept her health as a “priority,” while “everything else was secondary.” The Olympic title didn’t remain his goal anymore, as he wanted his partner to “feel strong again.” But for them, things didn’t go as planned.

“We grew further and further apart, and I realized we were living parallel lives,” he said. “Her actions confirmed that we have different values and are going down different paths.”

Papadakis and Cizeron retired after winning Olympic gold in Beijing and their home worlds in France just weeks later. Months later, there were rumblings of a potential comeback, but the interpersonal problems between the two prevented it from happening. Papadakis has since focused on other ventures, including commentating gigs and the promotion of same-sex ice dance alongside her friend and former competitor, Madison Hubbell.

As for Cizeron, he made a comeback at the start of the season with his new partner, Laurence Fournier-Beaudry. The two will return to Olympic ice at Milano Cortina, where they’re one of the many teams vying for gold.