UPDATE: Johnny Weir (via Access Hollywood, via Towleroad) talks about the snub:
It is for real. I’ve never been invited to do ‘Star on Ice’ before, which is the only figure skating tour in the U.S., and it’s disappointing that I can’t perform for my American fans… all because I’m not ‘family friendly’ enough…. I totally understand that I am a little outrageous in some ways… I’m a little un-P.C., but I really wish I had the chance to perform for the American fans…. Maybe right now, just artistically and creatively, I’d love to have my own show and my own tour and involve some big musical acts, like maybe getting Lady Gaga…. Nobody would be too un-family friendly for my show.
UPDATE: Johnny Weir (via Access Hollywood, via Towleroad) talks about the snub:
It is for real. I’ve never been invited to do ‘Star on Ice’ before, which is the only figure skating tour in the U.S., and it’s disappointing that I can’t perform for my American fans… all because I’m not ‘family friendly’ enough…. I totally understand that I am a little outrageous in some ways… I’m a little un-P.C., but I really wish I had the chance to perform for the American fans…. Maybe right now, just artistically and creatively, I’d love to have my own show and my own tour and involve some big musical acts, like maybe getting Lady Gaga…. Nobody would be too un-family friendly for my show.
Before the Olympics, Chad Conley told us that if Johnny Weir didn’t win a medal in Vancouver, he could forget about an invitation to Stars on Ice. Despite other non-medal winners being invited to participated with Stars on Ice, Conley’s prediction is playing out now as Weir has yet to be invited to participate with the North American skating tour (even if it’s not for the reasons Chad said). And we’ve gotten some emails from fans looking to pressure the tour to invite Weir.
One such fan is Jennifer P., and she lays out the case far better than I could:
Stars on Ice is the only figure skating tour left in the United States. In recent years, they have employed every single top American skater, either as full-time cast members or in guest spots, except for Johnny Weir. US skaters who have acheived far less than him, such as Adam Rippon, Ryan Bradley, Brandon Mroz, Alissa Czisny, Kimmie Meissner, Mirai Nagasu and many others are all invited to perform with SOI, yet Johnny is excluded. Jeremy Abbott and Evan Lysacek have just been hired as full-time cast members.
Fingers seem to be pointing at Smucker's, the only major corporate sponsor of Stars on Ice. The claim is that Smucker's and Stars on Ice have deemed that Weir isn't "family-friendly" enough. Other blogs are stating this as fact, some citing anonymous sources. These anonymous sources are likely the same people who have contacted us: Weir fans or Weir's business associates. So we're not jumping to this conclusion without some cold, hard facts.
Still, it doesn't look good. Weir is arguably the biggest figure-skating personality in the country, and his fans follow him everywhere. It's hard to believe the reason behind the snub is the Tour's bottom line, so there's got to be another reason.
You can sign an online petition to push Stars on Ice to include Weir.
