Johnny Weir Moving On Amid "Very Public Divorce," Cried Over Nude Photos

29-year-old figure skater and reality star says he's "proud" of failures, opens up about his breakup from husband Victor Weir-Voronov and a nude photo leak

By Corinne Heller Jun 05, 2014 8:28 PMTags
Johnny Weir, Victor VoronovTaylor Hill/Getty Images

Johnny Weir is moving on amid his "very public divorce" from lawyer Victor Voronov, calling the breakup one of several failures he is proud of—along with another one, which is NSFW.

The 29-year-old figure skater and reality star announced the split on March 19, a month after he showcased a jubilant attitude—and a slew of fabulous outfits—as an NBC commentator during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Weir had taken a break from his regular column in the Virginia-based Falls Church News-Press in January, before the games, and had divorce papers filed on Feb. 12, days after the games began. He recently resumed writing and bared his soul in a new, pensive and contemplative piece that was posted on Thursday, June 5.

Weir wrote that after the Olympics, he was told that nude photos of himself "were released to the tabloids of America."

"When I woke up that day in the hotel and got a phone call that this had happened, I did what anyone must do, I cried for precisely five minutes, I slapped my sunglasses on and went to work," he said.

"As a tactic, I like to bring up uncomfortable things right away, just so we can move on," he added. "For the rest of that workday I simply started conversations with people saying, 'So hey, did you see my ass this morning?' This of course got a wide-eyed, unsure reaction, 'Yeah.' 'Oh thank God, I was looking for it everywhere.'"

Weir had told Access Hollywood a day after announcing the breakup that the "worst" his ex could do to him would be "to post naked photos that we have between each other and I look flawless." In April, unconfirmed reports said Voronov obtained a nude photo of Weir that the skater allegedly sent to men he met on the Internet.

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He and Voronov, who wed in December 2011, have both spoken about their split in the press and details about their divorce proceedings, including distribution of personal possessions and even custody of their dog, have made headlines in recent months.

"Over the last 29 years of being Johnny, and especially in the past six months while going through a very public divorce, I have built a very thick skin, and generally speaking, I am able to deal with my emotions privately and without much fuss," Weir wrote in his column. "It's when you have to start dealing with other people's feelings that things get a bit hairy."

Earlier this year, it was reported the two had gotten involved in domestic violence disputes. Despite their turbulent relationship, they did appear to try to reconcile—Voronov's legal crisis manager, Wendy Feldman, told E! News that the couple had undergone marriage counseling.

"My name is Johnny Weir," Weir wrote in his new Falls Church News-Press column. "I have succeeded many times but I am just as proud of many of my great failures. I failed to win a medal at the Olympics, but I went twice and skated the performances of my lifetime. I failed to have a successful first marriage, but I allowed myself to love. I have naked photos on the Internet, but my body is nothing to be ashamed of."