Strictly Come Dancing star Motsi Mabuse speaks out after legal victory against ex-husband
Strictly Come Dancing star Motsi Mabuse has spoken of her relief after a lengthy legal battle with her former husband Timo Kulczak finally came to an end.
The professional dancer revealed that proceedings, which had dragged on for nearly three years, concluded with a court ruling in her favour. Kulczak, whom she married in 2003 and divorced in 2014, had launched legal action against her last year, seeking £70,000 in damages over claims she made in her autobiography, Mirror reports.
In the book, Mabuse described him as 'controlling' and made a number of allegations about their marriage. Kulczak denied the accusations and said they had breached what he believed to be a private agreement between the former couple not to discuss their personal lives publicly.
The case eventually made its way to court, where he insisted her remarks had harmed his dance coaching career and personal life.
Posting on social media today, Mabuse said the conclusion of the case brought a weight off her shoulders.
She wrote: 'After almost three years, the legal proceedings against me have now come to an end, with the court ruling in my favour. This case has been a long and challenging process, accompanied by media coverage and many articles over the years.
'It has been a constant burden, and I am relieved that clarity has finally been achieved. Now I can close this chapter and focus on the future with renewed strength.'
The Strictly judge also expressed gratitude to those closest to her, including her husband Evgenij Voznyuk, her management and her legal team, for their support throughout the ordeal.
Mabuse met Voznyuk, her dance partner, after the breakdown of her marriage to Kulczak. The pair married in 2017 and now share a daughter. Together, they run a dance school in Germany, where Mabuse has lived for several years.
Reflecting last year on their past relationship, Kulczak claimed that Mabuse initially struggled to adapt to German culture and that he had to help her 'organise' her life.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'For sure, the German character is different from the South African way of living. But she lived here a very long time, so she got used to it and liked how organised everything was and how things were functioning because it was organised.'
Kulczak also claimed that all he had sought from Mabuse was an apology. 'I just wanted the apology. But at the point where you say all further communication is through legal teams, an apology is not enough any more,' he said.
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The dancer, however, has now drawn a line under the dispute, just as she prepares for another glittering season of Strictly Come Dancing.
She will return to the judging panel this autumn alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas.
The quartet will soon welcome a brand-new line-up of celebrity contestants onto the famous dancefloor, with the BBC programme set to return in just a few weeks' time.
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