Professional figure skater Laurence Fournier Beaudry became emotional in a recently released Netflix documentary as she recounted her experience dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault allegations against her former ice dance partner and boyfriend, Nikolaj Sørensen. The 33-year-old athlete from Montreal opened up about the impact of the accusations in the docuseries titled “Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing,” scheduled for premiere on Feb. 1.
The documentary follows the journey of three top ice dance teams preparing for the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, including Fournier Beaudry and her current partner Guillaume Cizeron from France. Fournier Beaudry expressed the emotional toll of the situation, stating, “I never really talked openly about the extent of the harm it has caused. I don’t even want to revisit the emotions I experienced during those moments because I believed I was strong enough and could handle everything. It just felt like being collateral damage.”
It is common for skaters to change national representations in ice dance and pairs due to limited options for suitable partners. Fournier Beaudry teamed up with Cizeron and obtained French citizenship last year after Sørensen received a six-year suspension for allegations of sexual misconduct in October 2024, following an investigation by the now-defunct Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC). The suspension effectively ended both Sørensen’s and Fournier Beaudry’s careers together.
Despite the suspension being overturned by an arbitrator at the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada in June due to jurisdictional issues, the decision remains under appeal. Sørensen has consistently denied the allegations, which have not been litigated in court. Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen had a long-standing partnership, competing for Denmark before switching to Canada due to citizenship obstacles.
The documentary not only delves into Fournier Beaudry’s personal journey but also features other prominent ice dance pairs, such as Madison Chock and Evan Bates from the United States and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier from Canada. Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, who recently clinched gold at the European Championships in Sheffield, are gearing up to compete in Milan after a successful season.
The docuseries also sheds light on controversies within the sport, including Cizeron facing allegations from his former partner Gabriella Papadakis, who accused him of orchestrating a “smear campaign.” Papadakis recently published a book detailing her experience with Cizeron, claiming that she lost a commentary role with NBC ahead of the Winter Olympics.