Figure skater Johnny Weir ‘not family friendly enough for Stars on Ice’
The American figure skating champion Johnny Weir has reportedly been rejected from the Stars on Ice Tour because he is not deemed “family friendly”.
Weir, who represented the US at the 2010 Winter Olympics and is a three-time national champion, was rejected from the show by its sponsors, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) claims.
The flamboyant figure skater, 25, has refused to clarify his sexual orientation, but many believe he is gay.
GLAAD reports on its blog that a source who wishes to remain anonymous said that tour sponsors, including Smuckers and IMG Entertainment, refused to allow Weir to participate.
It is not clear if Weir had approached organisers or was invited to join the team.
The organisation said: “To say that Weir is ‘not family friendly’ would be a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation.
“Weir is extremely involved with his family. He is putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working.”
Weir has not commented on the report, while Stars on Ice Tour organisers had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.
The figure skater hit the headlines last month when he was the butt of jokes by commentators at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Australian Channel Nine presenters Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy took aim at his masculinity and pink and black costume, while French sportscasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of the RDS network suggested he should take a gender test and that he was a “bad example”.
Following outcry over the remarks, Weir said he believed in free speech but hoped they would “think before they speak”.
Earlier this week, he announced he was withdrawing from this month’s World Figure Skating Championship to “rework” his technique.
