Russian world champion gymnast Daria Dmitrieva has admitted that she was driven “crazy” by ex-husband Alexander Radulov’s messages to other women during their two-year marriage, adding that she loved spending his hefty NHL wages.
Four-time World Championships gold medalist Dmitrieva has claimed that “moral principles” caused her to split from Dallas Stars winger Radulov in 2017, calling her assumption that the situation would change a “ridiculous mistake” while accusing the Russia veteran of sending steamy texts via WhatsApp.
The Canada-based 27-year-old confessed that she had tracked Radulov’s exchanges “like a hacker” and revealed how she was unable to forgive the suspected infidelities of a man who she claimed had told her to stop spending such large sums of his money.
“There were situations when I found out that he communicates with other girls,” Dmitrieva told NTV. “I got paranoid.
“I even hired a detective. We found a girl from Tver who he had before me. I wrote to her to stop, to warn about problems, but she later wrote to him from other accounts.
“I sat like a hacker and watched, reading his correspondence online.
“The correspondence was of an intimate nature – and not just, ‘hello, how are you?'”
According to Dmitrieva, the pair finally split after an argument in Canada when she packed her suitcases and left for the airport while the disbelieving Radulov headed to a game.
She said that their divorce had taken six months because Radulov had been refused full custody of their son, Makar, three times.
The silver medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games conceded that she had become accustomed to lavish spending as the result of her marriage to Radulov, who is estimated to have pocketed around $35 million during his elite hockey career.
“I never knew how much my husband earned,” she said. “I just knew that it was a lot, and it suited me.
“We had an impressive amount at home. He told me, ‘when you need, you can take.’
“But I’m such a shopaholic – in a month I could spend quite a lot on clothes, then on bags, then on shoes. I’m from a poor family, and I had to “eat”.
“He [once said]: ‘Dasha, are you crazy? I’m sorry, but it’s not OK to spend so much.’ I could easily spend a million in a day.
“We mostly ate in restaurants because I flatly refused to cook. I didn’t like it – it wasn’t me at all.
“Once, I cooked chicken in a creamy sauce. As a result, he then felt bad. And I said that I would not cook any more.”
Radulov became father to a second son last month with model Anna Bokiy, and Dmitrieva has become a mother again since their split.
“I signed an amicable agreement with [Radulov],” she said. “Everything is clearly spelled out.
“He paid for an apartment for me, gave me money for a car and paid alimony for 18 months in advance.
“Of course, I understand he’s a good man. I don’t regret that I was married to him: it was an experience.”
