Kristina Rihanoff insists ‘I’m American not Russian’ and says ‘I hate war’ after Twitter rant about invasion of Ukraine
EX Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff has described herself as 'American' not Russian following her rant about the Ukraine invasion.
Kristina, 44, insisted to fans that she is an American citizen - despite being born in Vladivostok and living in Russia half of her life.
Kristina didn't leave Russia and move to the United States until she was in her early 20s.
She was only there for eight years, teaching Russian dancers, before moving to the UK - where she remains - to star in the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Yet attempting to clarify her tweets about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kristina said today: "While I was born in Russia, I left it 22 years ago and an American citizen [sic].
"So you can hate me if this will give you comfort but if i didn't say something you wanted me to say, it's bcs sadly I'm powerless doing anything to help anyone in both countries and I don't believe in the useless posts which can't help to save lives.
"I can only hope and pray like everyone that this is over soon. And it's really sad that the hate is so powerful everywhere you look at the moment. The whole world is burning in it."
MOTHER TONGUE
In a previous interview with the , Kristina said she didn't even speak English when she left Russia aged 22.
"I didn’t speak a word of English but I went there and stayed with the family of my new dance partner," she said.
"They made sure I felt comfortable and safe. I did English classes and started working with the kids straight away."
Kristina's clarification comes after she appeared to show support for Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine during a tirade on Twitter.
The dancer, who is the partner of rugby star Ben Cohen, had posted a caricature on the site, which took aim at the leaders of the West.
She also blasted a report that announced Russia had been kicked out of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is due to take place later this year, and suggested there was more important things to report on.
Not stopping there, Kristina also went on to post that she didn't “give a s*** about the war" - despite the Ukraine invasion having already cost hundreds of lives, including innocent children - while arguing how her business had been affected by Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Kristina's outburst has shocked fans, with many declaring that they would be unfollowing her. Some have even threatened to withdraw their children from her dance school.
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But in her lengthy clarification, which she posted on both Twitter and Instagram, Kristina also insisted that she is not supporting Putin and "hates" war.
She wrote: "I'm not supporting Putin, war, invasion, lost lives and politics. I hate it as much as a human being possibly can."
Kristina, who says she has friends living in both Russia and Ukraine, apologised for offending anyone, adding: "It wasn’t my intention and I’m deeply sorry."
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