Olympian Shibutani Siblings Break Silence on Leaked Video of Alex Berating Maia: 'It Was Wrong'
- - Olympian Shibutani Siblings Break Silence on Leaked Video of Alex Berating Maia: 'It Was Wrong'
Natasha DyeNovember 7, 2025 at 9:56 PM
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Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani on Feb. 19, 2018 -
Ice dancers Alex and Maia Shibutani have addressed the leaked video showing Alex berating Maia during a practice last month
On Nov. 7, Alex said, "I feel terrible about it" and told reporters he's working towards "becoming a better teammate"
Maia said she and her brother "understand each other and the process" and they will "choose each other every time"
Olympians Alex and Maia Shibutani have broken their silence on a leaked video that shows Alex cursing at his sister during a practice.
The video surfaced last month on YouTube, showing Alex, 34, berating Maia, 31, about her execution of a routine during practice on the rink. Another woman is also present, standing on the sides while the Shibutani siblings are on the ice.
At one moment in the video, Alex tells his sister, "Maia, you are an idiot."
After the siblings — who announced their return to competitive figure skating on May 1 after Maia spent years recovering from a cancerous tumor in her kidney — placed sixth in the rhythm dance competition at ISU’s Grand Prix Series on Friday, Nov. 7, both addressed the video and said they've made amends.
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Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani on Nov. 7, 2025 in Japan
“I feel terrible about it," Alex — who, alongside Maia, won two bronze medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics — told reporters, according to the . “Unfortunately, I lost my temper in training and it shouldn’t have happened,” he said, adding that he "apologized to Maia right after our practice."
Alex said the "intensity of what we are trying to do" and the "standards that we have" led to the outburst. "But it was wrong and I am committed to being a better teammate," he said, adding that he's "so lucky to skate with Maia."
"We have a very unique, special relationship and we are committed to each other and to this process," said Alex, per the AP.
Maia addressed the video as well, saying, “When you are working toward being your best there are going to be intense moments, but for us we understand each other and the process and we work through it together like siblings do,” she said, according to the AP.
“We continued practicing that day and we choose each other every time," she added.
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Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani on May 11, 2024
The siblings announced their return to the sport five years after Maia revealed that a tumor she had removed from her kidney was cancerous.
In May 2024, Maia told PEOPLE she was "healthy and doing well."
In their statement on May 1, Maia said, “These past seven years have challenged and inspired us in ways we never expected. I’m so happy and grateful to be healthy and in a position to make the decision to return to the sport I love in this way."
Alex said in the May statement that he and Maia are looking forward to bringing a new flare to the ice. “Our experiences and the new skills we’ve developed during our time away from competition have brought us different perspectives and created some exciting new possibilities. We don't take any of this for granted. We're really enjoying the process and look forward to performing and competing together again."
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
