Johnny Weir is opening up about the end of his marriage, in an exclusive interview with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush – and the figure skater claims it “was a very threatening marriage.”
“I’ve been having a tough time at home for a long time now and it’s something that I’ve kept from the public,” the 29-year-old told Billy just a day after announcing that he was divorcing Victor Voronov after three years of marriage.
“I was losing myself by being married to my husband. I was losing my objectives in life. I was very isolated from the world,” he continued, explaining that his busy globetrotting career caused a rift in the relationship.
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“He was not super accepting of the fact I work and I have to work this week in Russia, this week in Los Angeles, next week in Tokyo and that’s something that’s hard to wrap your head around,” he told Billy.
Weir claimed that Voronov, who has a law degree, was not working while they were together and the figure skater-turned-TV personality shouldered the burden of providing for them.
“I was supporting two people and whether it seems like a big deal or not, I come from a lower middle class family that has had to work no matter what. If you can’t be an attorney this week, then you better go get a job next week, otherwise the bills won’t get paid,” he told Billy. “I had to travel to work, to support myself and support my family.”
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A rep for Voronov told Access, “Victor was a highly-educated person, a lawyer and willfully gave up his career at the request of Johnny to devote himself to Johnny as a traditional spouse often does.”
Prior to traveling to Sochi to cover the Winter Olympics, Weir and Voronov were involved in a domestic violence incident.
“We were fighting in such a terrible way and it did get physical on that night and it’s unfortunate that things went the way that it did because domestic violence is never the way to go. Domestic violence is never the answer and when its two men, things are different,” Weir claimed.
“There’s a biting incident — you had to go to court when you got back from the Olympics… were you defending yourself?” Billy asked.
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“I was defending myself on that night… you would never see a mark on my body, but the damage that was done to me mentally was crippling,” Weir claimed.
Weir also alleged that this was not the first violent incident.
“It wasn’t often, but again we’re boys, boys fight, boys wrestle boys,” he told Billy. “It was usually good humored wrestling, but a few times, of course, it did get physical and… some of my closest friends have seen him hit me before.”
“Closed fist, open hand, slap or punch?” Billy asked.
“The night in question, my husband was very drunk and was yelling at me about my relationship with my mother and my mother was assisting me in cleaning up some financial messiness that had happened and he was uncomfortable with that and had voiced it very clearly. So, we had a fight and then I went to sleep because I had to work the next day and he came in – very not himself – and asked me to lay with him in the biblical sense, and when I refused, the altercation between us started,” he claimed. “I was defending myself and it’s unfortunate that there was a mark left on his body because as soon the police came to our home the first thing he did was show this mark, so I knew then he didn’t really care that much and all he is out to do is hurt me.”
Voronov’s rep responded to Weir’s claim, telling Access, ”There was a domestic violence incident. Johnny was arrested. That case was dropped by Victor at the urging of Johnny prior to the Olympics. The person who bit someone was Johnny. ”
As for things getting even messier with their divorce, Weir is not too concerned.
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“The worst he could do would be to post naked photos that we have between each other and I look flawless,” Weir said.
Voronov’s rep told Access he hopes the divorce will be as smooth as possible.
“It is our extreme hope and desire that this divorce could have been handled amicably. Not only is Victor heartbroken but he is now humiliated,” the rep said on Thursday.
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Weir and Voronov, who got married on New Year’s Eve in 2011, do not have a prenup.
— Jesse Spero
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