The Dutch speed skater who has been dubbed a “diva” for flying to the 2026 Winter Olympics in a private jet decided to stay in bed for Friday’s opening ceremonies.
Jutta Leerdam, a now two-time Olympian who’s engaged to boxing sensation Jake Paul, revealed on her Instagram story that she watched the opening show in Italy from the comfort of her hotel bed.
Leerdam shared a picture of the Netherlands team on center stage as it waved to the fans at San Siro stadium in Milan. She paired the image with the orange heart, lion and Netherlands flag emojis.
Leerdam’s decision to sit out the opportunity to participate in the Opening Ceremonies alongside some of her teammates comes a day after the Olympic silver medalist caught flak for flying private to the Milan Cortina Games rather than joining her fellow countrymen on the trip to Italy.
Famed Dutch soccer player turned sports reporter Johan Derksen blasted Leerdam for her luxury travel, saying “her behavior is horrible” and “like that of a diva.”
“If I were her coach, I wouldn’t tolerate that,” Derksen said, according to the Daily Mail. “Gradually the whole Netherlands is starting to get a bit fed up with her behavior.”
Leerdam’s personal plane was decked out for the occasion.
“Success Jutta” flags decorated a wall of the plane. She also had cupcakes with the same saying as well as dishes of food one would get at a Michelin-star restaurant — not 30,000 feet in the air.
This is Leerdam’s second Olympic appearance after she won the silver medal in the women’s 1,000-meter race at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
She’s the second-ranked speed skater in the world and looking to capture gold in both the 1,000m and 500m speed skates on Feb. 9 and 15.
Leerdam is a multi-World champion at speedskating.
She and her teammates, Letitia de Jong and Femke Kok, hold the world record for women’s team sprint with a time of 1:24.02.
