Inside toxic divorce of Olympic gold medal skater and wealthy husband… as their multi-million-dollar empire is carved up
Oksana Baiul once exemplified grace under pressure – a 16-year-old figure skating prodigy who took Olympic gold for Ukraine at the 1994 Winter Games.
But decades later, her life beyond the rink has taken a dark, complicated turn.
Baiul, 48, is at the center of an ugly public divorce that exposed shocking allegations of addiction, abuse and racism – and left her wealthy husband with full custody of their 10-year-old daughter.
Now, for the first time, both Baiul and Carlo Farina are speaking publicly to the Daily Mail about the split that saw them carve up their $1.2 million home, hundreds of thousands in cash, and a luxury Mercedes-Benz.
Farina, who owns a private asset management firm and previously worked as Baiul’s manager, initiated the divorce proceedings in June 2025, requesting sole custody of their daughter, Sophia, and only supervised visitation for Baiul, portraying her as a danger behind closed doors.
Farina claimed Baiul had a ‘history of extreme physical, emotional, mental and verbal abuse’, some of which he said was captured on home security cameras.
He accused the former Olympian of alcohol abuse, calling her a ‘manipulative, toxic, controlling… compulsive liar’, and claimed their daughter feared her mother.
The filing went further, alleging Baiul had made racist remarks in front of Sophia, encouraged the girl to racially abuse their housekeeper, repeatedly cursed at her, and even ‘brainwashed’ Sophia into believing she did not need to attend school.
This week, Farina spoke to the Daily Mail about the divorce and expressed discomfort that the dispute had become public. ‘I’m a very private man,’ he said.
‘Everything is resolved now, and I’m focused on protecting my daughter… I loathe that she’s been dragged into the spotlight.’
Olympic figure skating champion Oksana Baiul and her ex-husband Carlo Farina (above in 2017) have finalized their divorce following 13 years of marriage. The split was announced by Baiul in a Facebook post on Monday
Baiul won a gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway at just 16 years of age
Despite the acrimony, the divorce settlement – negotiated privately and approved by a judge – gave Baiul substantial assets.
She was awarded a minimum of $550,000 from the sale of their $1.2 million Louisiana home, a 2020 Mercedes GLC300, and $250,000 in cash payments to be paid by Farina over time.
Over $190,000 of Baiul’s personal and business debt was also forgiven by Farina.
In concession, the Olympian has agreed to enroll in anger management classes and therapy ‘as needed’, and to submit to alcohol and drug testing to ‘ensure she is remaining sober’, the documents seen by the Mail show.
The settlement was rubber-stamped in October. News of their split escaped the spotlight for months until Baiul went public with a post to Facebook on Monday.
‘As I’m sure anyone who has ever been through a separation or divorce knows, it is a lengthy and often devastating journey,’ she wrote alongside a photo of herself and Sophia.
‘Divorce is hard enough, but when there is a child involved they must be the priority. As a mother, I ask that you please respect our privacy at this time as we move forward building our new future.’
Speaking to the Daily Mail on Wednesday afternoon, Baiul – despite sounding the alarm about her divorce online – said she never expected the intimate details of her legal fight with Farina to be made public.
She said she is now fearful of the impact the ongoing narratives could have on her relationship with her daughter.
Baiul, seen with her daughter, told the Daily Mail she was worried she was being perceived as a ‘villain’ after details of their divorce became public
The couple agreed to sell there $1.2 million mansion in Louisiana (above), with Biaul receiving $550,000 of the sale, and the remainder split 50/50
‘People can talk, they can say whatever they want, but I just want them to know that what is being reported isn’t true,’ Baiul said.
‘I am not someone who does not care for my child. I would put my child first and foremost – always and forever.
‘I don’t want people to think of me as some sort of villain. I am not that person.’
Amid the renewed public attention, Baiul has continued to share updates from her life on social media – even while insisting she wants privacy.
On Wednesday, the former skater filmed from inside her Mercedes claiming to have been pulled over by police in Las Vegas because of a license plate discrepancy.
Baiul has since relocated to Vegas from Louisiana, where she works with skating programs in association with the Las Vegas Golden Knights NHL team.
Later Wednesday, Baiul shared another post indicating that she’d spoken to the Daily Mail, and wouldn’t be addressing any ‘individual assertions’ or allegations exchanged between her and Farina in court.
Baiul told the Mail that, while her move back to Vegas came largely due to professional reasons, and even as custody arrangements place her largely out of day-to-day contact with her daughter, she still intends to play an active role in Sophia’s life.
She said she willingly signed over custody of Sophia to Farina, believing it was the best decision for her daughter at this time.
‘I would like people to know that I’m very proud to be Sophia’s mother. I really do my best with my child, and I love her very, very, very much,’ Baiul said.
Farina was awarded sole custody of their daughter, Sophia (pictured). Visitations with Biaul will only be made at Sophia’s request
Contrary to his ex-wife’s remarks, Farina said the extent of Baiul’s role in Sophia’s life moving forward will be determined only by his daughter.
‘If Sophia chooses to see her mom, I’ll always keep that door open. But, in accordance with the court order, I’ll never force her to,’ he said.
‘I was extremely generous. It’s over now and it’s time to move forward. It’s time for healing.’
Baiul told the Daily Mail she has been sober for the last two-and-a-half years.
In a filing responding to Farina’s divorce petition last August, Baiul issued a blanket denial to all of the allegations raised and, in turn, accused Farina of being ‘psychologically abusive’ toward both her and Sophia.
She claimed the surveillance videos referenced by Farina showed him behaving abusively and accused him of maintaining an ‘unhealthy’ relationship with their daughter.
‘He deliberately separates her from other children of her age,’ she alleged. ‘Farina controls every minute, and every nuance of the minor child’s life.’
Baiul also claimed Farina exercised total financial control over her, alleging she lacked access to their bank accounts or financial records.
‘This level of financial control is disturbing, irrational, and obviously an abusive trait,’ her response stated.
Both Baiul and Farina reportedly agreed that neither party will have to pay spousal support
Within months of filing, the pair reached a settlement resolving the terms of their separation, which was approved by a judge.
Under the agreement, both parties waived any claim to child support and spousal support, and agreed not to smear one another in front of their daughter.
Both parties retained their own earnings, royalties, and business interests, released each other from future financial claims, and agreed to file separate tax returns going forward, with Farina entitled to claim their daughter as a dependent.
The sprawling $1.19million home they once shared in Shreveport, Louisiana, is still on the market.
Spanning 6,000 square feet, the red-brick mansion features five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a sunroom and a library, and remained listed for sale as of Wednesday afternoon.
Baiul won a world championship in 1993 and Olympic gold the following year in Norway. She then retired, moved to the US, and began performing in various touring productions.
In 2011, she hired Farina as her personal manager to pursue legal action against her former talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, which she accused of financially exploiting her.
Farina sued the agency and recovered $9.5million on her behalf, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The pair married the following year and welcomed their only child, Sophia, in June 2015.
