Oksana Baiul Addresses Custody Loss, Requests Privacy Amid Divorce Settlement

Former Ukrainian Olympic figure skater Oksana Baiul is addressing the public following a loss of custody of her daughter.

“As I’m certain anyone who has ever experienced a separation or divorce understands, it is a prolonged and frequently devastating process,” Baiul, 48, wrote on Facebook Monday, January 5. “Ending a marriage is difficult enough, but when a child is involved, their well-being should be the top priority. As a mother, I request that you please respect our privacy as we navigate building our new future…..”

Us Weekly exclusively reported on Monday that Baiul’s former husband, Carlo Farina, has been granted sole custody of their 11-year-old daughter, Sophia, as part of their divorce settlement. Baiul and Farina, who were married for 13 years, informed the court in October 2025 that they had reached an accord covering custody, financial support, and the division of their shared assets.

The agreement designates Farina as the primary caregiver and permits him to relocate from Louisiana to Las Vegas with their daughter. Baiul is permitted to see her daughter only if Sophia consents to the visits, according to the agreement.

The legal documents state that Baiul agreed to participate in anger management counseling and undergo testing for alcohol and drugs to “ensure she is maintaining sobriety.”

Baiul married Farina, her manager, in 2012. Three years later, the previous couple welcomed their daughter, Sophia. Farina initiated divorce proceedings from Baiul after 13 years of marriage in June 2025, stating in court documents obtained by Us that the couple separated in 2022.

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At the time of his June 2025 filing, Farina alleged that he and Baiul were residing in separate homes in Louisiana. He requested exclusive custody of their daughter, Sophia, with Baiul receiving supervised visitation due to her purported “history of severe physical, emotional, mental, and verbal mistreatment” toward him. He further claimed that this alleged mistreatment was recorded on security cameras in their former residence.

In an August 2025 response, Baiul refuted all accusations of wrongdoing and asserted in her filing that the couple’s separation occurred on June 12, 2025 — not three years prior. She opposed Farina’s request for sole custody of their daughter and asked the court to award the parents shared custody.

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Baiul also accused Farina of being “psychologically abusive” toward her and their daughter. She claimed that the videos he presented in court depicted him as the abuser, not her. The former spouses reached an agreement that resolved the case several weeks later.

Prior to her divorce from Farina, Baiul — who secured Gold in the ladies’ single skating event at the 1994 Winter Olympics — was arrested for driving under the influence in 1977 and subsequently entered a rehabilitation program. She later revealed that her struggles with alcohol began during her ice skating tour performances.

“Aside from myself, nearly all the figure skaters on the tour were adults, and there was abundant alcohol available. Most of the skaters were Russian and American, and they all consumed alcohol,” Baiul told Tribuana in 2015. “That’s when I tried it. I was very young, with no guidance. I thought it was normal, because as a teenager you don’t want to deviate from the majority.”