Here’s the quick scoop on why the French ice dancers are controversial right now. 🧊

Who are “the French ice dancers”?

People are mainly talking about the new French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron , who are competing for France at the 2026 Winter Olympics and are medal favorites. Their skating has gone viral online, but so has their off‑ice backstory and public comments.

The main reasons they’re controversial

1. Allegations involving Fournier Beaudry’s former partner

  • Fournier Beaudry previously skated with Nikolaj Sørensen , who has been accused of sexual assault by a former American skater.
  • Canada’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner investigated him; he was suspended for six years in 2024 , though that suspension was later overturned on jurisdictional grounds, and the case has been under further review.
  • Despite the allegations, Fournier Beaudry has publicly stood by Sørensen , describing herself as “collateral damage” of the process and focusing on how his suspension hurt their careers.
  • A statement from the alleged survivor criticized the French team’s comments (including in a Netflix documentary) for undermining survivors and contributing to a “culture of silence” in figure skating.

In forum discussions, this is often summarized as: she’s defending her accused ex‑partner and minimizing the accuser’s experience , which many fans see as deeply troubling.

2. Abuse allegations from Cizeron’s former partner

  • Before teaming with Fournier Beaudry, Cizeron famously skated with Gabriella Papadakis ; they’re Olympic champions and one of the most decorated ice dance teams ever.
  • In early 2026, Papadakis released a book and gave interviews where she described their past partnership as emotionally abusive and controlling, saying she felt under “a kind of control” and that what she experienced reflected systemic issues in elite skating.
  • Cizeron has strongly denied her account, calling it “defamatory,” a “smear campaign,” and “false information,” and has taken legal action in response.

So you have one half of a beloved Olympic duo publicly accusing the other of abusive behavior, while he says the claims are untrue and harmful—this split has really divided the fanbase.

3. Their media and Netflix portrayal

  • The pair feature in a Netflix‑style documentary (often referenced online as Glitter & Gold), where their new partnership is framed as a bold comeback story and they dismiss online criticism as “haters.”
  • The documentary gives Fournier Beaudry a lot of space to tell her love story with Sørensen and to defend him, without equal weight given to the accuser’s side, which critics say glamorizes someone accused of serious misconduct.
  • When a reporter followed up with them after the survivor’s public statement, Fournier Beaudry reportedly answered: “We have no thoughts” and then ended the exchange.

For many viewers and forum users, the combination of the documentary’s tone and their dismissive public comments makes them look arrogant and insensitive to abuse survivors.

4. On‑ice judging drama and “overscoring”

  • Beyond the off‑ice issues, some fans and commentators think the French team are being overscored at major events, especially at the 2026 Olympics where they jumped ahead of top American team Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
  • Reddit and other forums point to patterns of generous scoring for French teams and question whether technical calls and Grades of Execution are tilted in their favor.

This has created a mix of ethical controversy (abuse and handling of allegations) and sporting controversy (perceived judging bias) around the same duo.

How forums and fans are talking about it

On places like r/Fauxmoi and figure‑skating subreddits, you’ll see a few recurring takes:

  • Some fans say:
    • The pair are incredibly talented , and it’s unfair to let unresolved legal or disciplinary issues completely overshadow their skating.
* Suspensions overturned on technical or jurisdictional grounds make the situation complicated, so people should be cautious about turning them into villains too quickly.
  • Others argue:
    • Using their platform to publicly support an accused abuser and dismiss survivor concerns is harmful, regardless of legal outcomes.
* Papadakis speaking out about emotional abuse reflects broader systemic problems, and trying to discredit her reinforces the culture that keeps skaters silent.

* Their “we’re in our own bubble” attitude plus the Netflix edit makes them come across as **callous and image‑obsessed**.

A typical forum comment summary would look something like:

“They skate beautifully, but between Laurence backing Nikolaj and Guillaume calling Gabriella’s book a smear campaign, the vibes are off.”

In one line

They’re controversial because their off‑ice history involves abuse allegations around both of their former partnerships, their public support for an accused partner and harsh response to a former partner’s claims, and a glossy media narrative that many feel minimizes survivors’ experiences—on top of simmering judging/overscoring drama at the Olympics.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.