'Friends saw him hit me': Johnny Weir opens up about his 'personal hell' after filing for divorce from husband 'who relied on his money'

  • The former figure skater and Olympics commentator, 29, announced the break up with Victor Voronov on Twitter on Wednesday
  • He has claimed that his husband was emotionally abusive and that they fought constantly during Weir's time in Sochi
  • He added that Voronov did not work so he had to earn for both of them
  • The couple, who married 2 years ago, were at the center of a recent domestic dispute case in which Voronov accused Weir of biting him
  • TMZ have released a photo of the alleged attack
  • Weir previously said there are 'constant fireworks' in the relationship

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 10:40 EST, 21 March 2014 | UPDATED: 00:28 EST, 22 March 2014

Johnny Weir has opened up about his divorce from his husband - claiming his husband was often abusive towards him and relied on his money.

In an ugly twist, the 29-year-old former skater shared details of his two-year marriage with Victor Voronov, a non-practising attorney, in an interview with Access Hollywood on Thursday.

While he was all smiles and professionalism during his stint as a commentator in Sochi, behind the scenes, he struggling with a 'personal hell' of an emotionally and physically abusive partner, he said. He filed for divorce on February 12, while he was in Sochi.

And in a sign that this split may be about to get uglier still, Weir's ex released an image of the bite mark he claimed the presenter inflicted on his arm.

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Speaking out: Former figure skater Johnny Weir appeared on Access Hollywood to talk about his divorce from his husband, who he claimed was emotionally abusive and relied on him to make money

Speaking out: Former figure skater Johnny Weir appeared on Access Hollywood to talk about his divorce from his husband, who he claimed was emotionally abusive and relied on him to make money

Attack: TMZ reported this picture shows the bite marks when Johnny Weir attacked his partner Victor Voronov

Attack: TMZ reported this picture shows the bite marks when Johnny Weir attacked his partner Victor Voronov

'Sochi was one of the hardest times in my life,' he said. 'When I was on the broadcasting, I escaped my own personal hell that I was living in.

'My husband was behaving very erratically. The majority of the time off camera I was in tears. I was on the phone. I was fighting. I was not in a good place.'

 

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He said that while the damage couldn't be seen on his body, he was controlled emotionally and Voronov forced him to cut out friends, professional contacts and even his mother.

He added that their fights involved wrestling - and that it sometimes got out of control, including the incident in which he bit Voronov, who called the police.

A picture of the alleged bite appeared on TMZ and shows a deep gash on a man's forearm.  Despite the fall out, however, the couple appeared together in a New Jersey court earlier this month and a judge agreed to dismiss the case.

Speaking to Access Hollywood, Weir said that physical attacks weren't just made by him.

'Some of my closest friends have seen him hit me before,' he said.

He added that he had added pressure because Voronov, whom he married after a short romance, had taken on the 'traditional' role and Weir was left to provide for the two of them.

Happier times: Weir has been married to Victor Voronov, pictured together in 2012, for two years

Happier times: Weir has been married to Victor Voronov, pictured together in 2012, for two years

'He was not super accepting of the fact that I work and I have to work this week in Russia, this week in Los Angeles, next week in Tokyo,' he said.

'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 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. I had to travel to work to support myself and to support my family.'

Split: Weir revealed that he had broken up from his husband on his Twitter account earlier this week

Split: Weir revealed that he had broken up from his husband on his Twitter account earlier this week

Shock

Shock: Voronov wrote on Twitter that he had only just learned that his husband had filed for divorce

Shock: Voronov wrote on Twitter that he had only just learned that his husband had filed for divorce

On Friday, TMZ also reported that Weir emailed Voronov last September, claiming that he had destroyed his pricey Birkin bag.

'If you decide to wreck things, please wreck cheaper things than Birkin,' he wrote. 'He goes on ..."The f*** you on the Birkin is kinda cool, though, you artist.'

Despite the rocky relationship, Voronov said on his Twitter account that he had not been aware that Weir had filed for divorce until the announcement this week.

Weir had written on Wednesday: 'It is with great sadness that I announce that my husband and I are no longer together. My heart hurts and I wish him well.'

'Shocked by the abrupt ending of my marriage and am dealing with the trauma including multiple things I am just now becoming aware of...' he wrote on Wednesday.

On Thursday he added: 'Yes. I'd like to confirm, It's true: I am only now finding out that my husband @johnnygweir filed for divorce from me months ago.'

Stars of Sochi: Weir and fellow skater Tara Lipinski were applauded for their colorful commentary in Sochi - but Weir has revealed that throughout the experience he was arguing with his husband

Stars of Sochi: Weir and fellow skater Tara Lipinski were applauded for their colorful commentary in Sochi - but Weir has revealed that throughout the experience he was arguing with his husband

Together: The couple married in December 2011 after they started sating that summer

Together: The couple married in December 2011 after they started sating that summer

Happier times: Weir and Voronov got married on New Year's Eve 2011, shortly after the former figure skater came out as gay
Happier times: Weir and Voronov got married on New Year's Eve 2011, shortly after the former figure skater came out as gay

United front: Despite appearances, Weir said his husband was emotionally abusive and would slap him

Voronov's spokesperson, Wendy Feldman, added: '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.'

But Weir said he's not worried about the scandal - and that his ex has nothing up his sleeve that could do any damage.

'The worst that he could do is post naked photos that we have between each other and I look flawless,' he said.

Weir officially came out as gay in his memoir Welcome to My World in 2011, citing a recent string of gay suicides as his reason to be open about his sexuality.

On New Year's Eve that year, he married Voronov, a Georgetown Law graduate.

Champion on ice: Weir competed in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, finishing sixth place in the men's single competition
Champion on ice: Weir competed in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, finishing sixth place in the men's single competition

Champion on ice: Weir competed in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, finishing sixth place in the men's single competition, and was a hit in his first commentary stint at Sochi

Ahead of the nuptials, Weir told IceNetwork that Voronov, who comes from a Russian family but grew up in Atlanta, was 'kind of everything that I've ever looked for and aspired to be in a relationship with'.

He went on: 'We've known for a long time and we reconnected over the summer, and it's just been a whirlwind. He's wonderful. He's in the legal field, completely separate from all of my razzle dazzle. He loves watching me perform and seeing what I actually do.'

But in February, he told Access Hollywood that the relationship could be fiery.

'A marriage between two guys is different than what I imagine a marriage between a man and a woman [to be],' he said. 'I mean, we're both constantly trying to fight to wear the pants in the relationship. It's constant fireworks. It's very boom, boom, boom.'

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I have no idea whether Victor has or hasn't done any of the things he's accused of, but if I had to put up with Weir every day, it wouldn't end well at all. - Sleepless, Sacramento, United States, 3/21/14, 7:28 PM Hahaha. Best comment ever!

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Just another Divorce ..

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Johnnie, straight marriages are often as bad, even worse. My last wife used weapons.

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isn't a "non-practicing attorney", just unemployed?

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Sheeeeesh.

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Johnny Weir is super hip.

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NEVER HEARD OF YOU WHO ARE YOU? YOU SOUND LIKE A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL,WHO HAS FALLEN OUT WITH HER FIRST LOVE,GROW UP AND SHUT UP,KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. IDIOT.

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Does he really think he married him because he found him attractive? Obviously it was for the money.

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Sorry to hear about this. Next time: long engagement!

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I'll tell you what, I had not heard of Johnny before Sochi, not being all that big into figure skating. But I loved his commentating. I learned so much about the sport and what the judges were looking for. It got my whole family interested in the competitions. And, to be honest, whoever the people were that commentated in prime time were a real let-down after Johnny and Tara earlier in the day. He was completely professional, and obviously hid perfectly the behind-the-scenes trauma he was enduring. We went and looked him up online during Sochi and found a youtube of one of his skates in Vancouver. He was amazing! I cannot express how impressed I was with this man, and I'm even more impressed now to learn that he did all of that wonderful work while dealing with all of this personal drama. What a true professional. I wish him peace and happiness going forward. No one deserves to be in an abusive relationship. I hope he finds healing and peace.

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