Olympic figure skater Laurence Fournier Beaudry is opening up about her former skating partner and boyfriend Nikolaj Sorensenallegations of sexual assault.
In the first episode of the Netflix docuseries, Glitter & Gold: Dance on icepublished on Sunday, February 1, Fournier Beaudry, 33, talks about the impact of the allegations.
“I never publicly discuss the damage that has been created,” Fournier Beaudry said in the document. “I don’t even want to go back to what I felt in those moments because I thought I was really strong and I really thought I could handle everything.”
She continued, “I just felt like collateral damage.”
Olympic ice dance gold medalist Guillaume Cizeron is accusing his former partner of engaging in a smear campaign against him by publishing his new memoir. Gabriella Papadakis published her memoirs, Pour ne pas disparaître (To not disappear) on Thursday, January 15. In it, she accuses Cizeron, 31, of being “controlling, demanding, (…)
In October 2024, Sorensen, 36, received a six-year ban from the sport for alleged sexual abuse. The suspension stems from the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner of Canada (an office that is now defunct) following an investigation into an allegation that Sorensen sexually assaulted an American figure skating coach and former figure skater in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012.
According to a 2024 report by USA Todaythe figure skating coach, then 22, claimed Sorensen, 23 at the time, held her against her will on a bed after a party.
Sorensen has denied the allegation, which has not been proven in court. Fournier Beaudry has defended Sorensen since the 2024 report.
The French Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron
Ian HODGSON / AFP“When they decided to suspend him, it meant his career was over, which also meant my career was over,” Fournier Beaudry said on the docuseries.
She continued, “This was extremely difficult because it wasn’t just about skating, it was about my integrity, it was about his integrity. I know my boyfriend 100 percent. I know him. And we stayed strong together.”
Fournier Beaudry and Sorensen skated together for 13 years and have been dating for 12 years, he said at the series. The duo skated together at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing (two years before Sorensen’s suspension) and won a national title in 2023.
“The plan was to continue my career with Nik and go to Milan Cortina and enjoy our last season together,” he said. “But that’s not what happened. Everything I’ve been through in the last year and a half has been a roller coaster.”
Following Sorensen’s suspension, Fournier Beaudry has teamed up with the French skater, Guillaume Cizeronthat has had its fair share of controversy before the Olympic Games.
After his former partner, Gabriella Papadakisdescribed him in his memoirs as “controlling, exacting” and “critical,” Cizeron he answered calling the book a “smear campaign.”
“In the face of this smear campaign, I want to express my incomprehension and disagreement with the labels attributed to me,” he told French media. “The book contains false information, including statements I never made, which I take seriously. For more than 20 years, I have shown deep respect for Gabriella Papadakis, despite the gradual erosion of our bond, our relationship was built on equal collaboration and marked by mutual success and support.”
Cizeron added that he has ordered his lawyers to “notify all parties involved to immediately cease the dissemination of defamatory statements about me.”
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron won gold at the European Championships last week, with the highest overall score of the season, putting them as favorites to win the gold medal in Milan.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, non-judgmental support as well as local resources to help with healing, recovery and more.