Ballerina Ksenia Karelina ‘did not have a worry in the world’ before arrest in Russia, her boyfriend says
Ksenia Karelina’s boyfriend said the ballerina “did not have a worry in the world” when she flew home to Russia, where she faces a possible life sentence for allegedly donating just $51 to a Ukrainian charity.
Beverly Hills spa worker Karelina, a 32-year-old US-Russian citizen, was arrested last month for “petty hooliganism,” with charges later upgraded to treason after it was claimed her donation was in support of Ukraine’s military.
Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, said they had no idea what awaited her as they celebrated the new year together in Turkey before Karelina flew to Russia to see her 90-year-old grandmother.
“We had four magical days in Istanbul, not a worry in the world,” the professional boxer told NBC LA. “She had not a worry in the world. She had no idea what was waiting for her.
“She was like, ‘I’m going to be fine, it’s good. I’m Russian, I’m good,’” he told the outlet.
“This is also eating away at me a little bit because I bought that plane ticket.”
Instead, Karelina immediately ran into trouble at the airport, where authorities detained her briefly and seized her phone, the boyfriend said.
For three weeks, the couple talked on her mom’s phone until Jan. 27 — two days before her scheduled flight back to the US.
“She said, ‘I’m going to go, in a few hours. I’m going to go pick up my phone,’” Van Heerden told the NBC station. “And it was nighttime here so I said, ‘I’ll speak to you in a couple hours because I’m going to go to bed’ — and then that was the last we spoke.”
Who is Ksenia Karelina, the Russian ballerina accused of treason?
- Amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina, 32, was arrested in Russia on suspicion of treason, according to Moscow officials.
- The US-Russian dual citizen allegedly donated $51 to Ukraine’s war effort through the organization Razom. According to Russia’s Federal Security Service, Karelina has been “proactively collecting funds in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations.”
- The Los Angeles resident manages a spa in Beverly Hills and was in Russia to celebrate New Year’s Eve with her family.
- “We are all in shock,” Eleonora Srebroski, Karelina’s former mother-in-law, told The Post. “She is just a wonderful soul. She would never do anything evil to anyone.”
- Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor called the arrest a “middle finger” to the US from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Karelina’s ex-husband Evgeny Khavana told The Post that she was arrested over “stupid politics.”
- The dancer faces a sentence of 12 years to life in prison.
The former boxing champ said Karelina was “so proud to be Russian,” and that she never spoke about the country’s two-year invasion of Ukraine, saying, “She doesn’t watch the news, she doesn’t intervene with anything.”
Van Heerden said he’s known about his girlfriend’s detention for almost a month, but decided to speak publicly for the first time.
“Bring her back, she’s just a normal person. She needs to be with her friends and family,” he told NBC LA.
“I believe in America. I do believe that America will bring her back to me and that’s the hope I’m holding on to,” Van Heerden added to CNN.
A State Department spokesperson warned it may be difficult to help the dual US-Russian citizen.
“Russia has not recognized dual citizenship; considers them to be Russian citizens first and foremost,” Matthew Miller told NBC LA. “And so, oftentimes, we have a difficult time getting consular assistance. But we will pursue it in all matters where US citizens is detained.”
On Tuesday, a hearing on her case was postponed because she had no legal representation.
Van Heerden told CNN that lawyers were “afraid to just touch” her case, adding that one was willing to help but only for “an insane amount of money.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the costs.
The boyfriend is known professionally as a tough guy, but told NBC LA that he is “honestly more of a romantic.”
“It’s hard to enjoy anything right now, knowing I have freedom and she doesn’t,” Van Heerden said.
