A Little Bit of What We Know about Semyon Varlamov's Domestic Abuse Case

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while ago, I wrote a rather long post on Reddit regarding Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov's domestic abuse case. It appeared in the thread, "Stolen from r/soccer: Persuade r/hockey that a popular opinion held here is wrong." Recently, Dario Ronzone expressed a desire to use that post to educate ignorant hockey fans, so it occurred to me that it would be better to move what I said on Reddit to a slightly more permanent location. Although the world's foremost expert on anything to do with Varlamov is vtcapsfan99, what I've pasted below still provides some truth on the matter. Presently, most people believe he got away with domestic abuse because he's a rich athlete.

In cooperation with Mile High Hockey's Cheryl Bradley, vtcapsfan99 is taking on the arduous task of presenting all the evidence she has accumulated on the case, which will do better than I have here to serve as a starting point for people looking to understand the true story.

What I wrote is pasted verbatim.

No, we won't ever know the truth, but that doesn't mean we can't evaluate what we do know about the incident and the people involved. What we know about her and her reports: Details changed every time she retelled the story, including to the police and DA. This incident allegedly happened after Varlamov made moves to break up with her. She reported being close with Varlamov and they had plans to get married, but he'd never introduced her to his family nor invited her to his sister's wedding months before. They weren't in a stable long-term relationship. In addition, contrary to that report, before going to Denver to stay with Varlamov, she told her best friend that she didn't love him and was planning to get money out of him by telling the police he beat her. Her ex was a KHL player whom she cheated on (with Varlamov)and, once the relationship soured, accused of beating her. In this case, she was found to be lying. Besides this KHLer, previous exes have accused her of extortion once relationships soured. She waited days before contacting the police about it. She and her lawyer contacted the media to arrange interviews before contacting the police to report it. She charged for interviews. After telling the media she couldn't speak English, she deleted posts from her social media accounts in which she'd written in English. After accusing Varlamov of beating her with a bicycle during a summer vacation in the Maldives (she said he nearly killed her), she deleted Facebook pictures from that vacation in which she was happy and unbruised. She also took modelling photos that showed no evidence of abuse, but since those can be photoshopped, one may discount them. During this Maldives vacation, multiple people reported seeing her kick Varlamov in the head. She confirmed this to friends during a subsequent conversation (that they recorded), in which she admitted that she was "small but can hit hard". During this recorded conversation, she also admitted to planning the accusation ahead of time. She once attacked Varlamov in Moscow. Contrary to the perception of her as "delicate", she is adept at karate and a capable fighter. The following is according to her best friend: She liked to drink a lot, and during the Halloween party before this incident was heavily intoxicated. Varlamov then told her to go home; she got angry and started shouting at him. When he got home later that night, she started screaming at him and attacking him, still intoxicated. Varlamov tried to stop her from hitting him, which possibly involved him shoving her aside or into the door. What we know about Varlamov: He has no history of anger issues. He has no history of violence against women, or any other inviduals. Note that Evgeniya portrayed him as a sociopath, not just someone who'd get angry. Varlamov reportedly doesn't drink during the season, and therefore was reportedly not drunk during the Halloween party. Again, he was portrayed as an alcoholic. Varlamov trains with Steve Saunders in the summer. During this time, he also lives with Saunders and his family. Saunders has never reported him being violent or angry, and his kids love Varlamov. EDIT: Struck out parts I can't prove. As stated below, Varlamov is close with Saunders and his family, but doesn't live with them. I've also added more sources below. It's hard to source a lot of that, unless there's a wayback machine for Facebook posts, but here are some. Charging money for interviews: http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2013/11/25/semyon-varlamovs-accuser-being-paid-for-interviews/15784/ Evgeniya's best friend: http://lifenews.ru/news/122947. This article is in Russian, so you have to rely on google, etc., if you don't understand it. Someone on HFBoards translated it: http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showpost.php?p=74659583&postcount=589. Interesting parts: She would guilt her Victor Drugov into giving her money even when she'd moved on to dating Varlamov. Victor Drugov would spoil her, but she was less successful in getting Varlamov to do so. "Evgeniya and Semyon constantly had arguments. Due to the problems with alcohol. But not the hockey player (was having them), as American police thinks, but the young lady herself." "Arguments most of the time occurred due to drinking. Because, Zhenya gets drunk and starts nitpicking with him... Starts attempting to fight with him constantly. In order to make Syoma mad..." She tells of a story in a cab: "They were in the car, he gets his phone out – to look at something. And she tells him” Who are you writing to?! You, you are such and such!” Grabs the phone from him. He says: “Zhenya, calm down, why are you behaving like that?” She starts climbing on top of him, hitting him. I said: “Syoma, I am in complete shock from your (guys) relationship”. And he says: “This only happens when drunk. When she is sober – she is adequate”" She met her lawyer a week before the incident, and she said "that in Russia, women’s rights are not protected, but are protected in America. There, they will say, that Syoma, allegedly upset her, to sue for a lot of money." There are details about the incident, which ended with Varlamov pushing her on the bed, Evgeniya hitting him "on the lips", and Varlamov walking out of the room to sleep in another room." A story about extorting rich men: "she says: “If I did not want to marry an oligarch, I would say, that I got pregnant from him. And he would give me money for the child”. I said: Zhenya, what do you mean?! How?! You are not pregnant?!” And she says: “I would make it like I am pregnant”. Meaning that she always had a materialistic interest. She always lived depending on men. One is rich, or another one. She does not talk to any other ones (except for rich ones)." Varlamov didn't want her to join him in the US following the lockout. "He told her: “Zhenya, I won’t take you to America – I don’t need those problems”. She promised to behave herself. Then she went to America and was dumping on him, meaning, that he is such and such, he is cheap." Her motive for going to the US was (or is) to obtain US citizenship and work as a model. "And she says: “I want him to do time”. She tells me: “I went to America specifically for this situation.”" There is a lot more in that post. The recording with friends: http://lifenews.ru/news/123363. Again, someone on HFBoards translated it: http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showpost.php?p=75499105&postcount=784. Picture after "nearly being killed" in the Maldives; no evidence of abuse: https://vk.com/id141477602?z=photo141477602_305521620%2Fphotos141477602 EDIT 1: vtcapsfan99, who is the unquestioned expert on everything related to Varlamov, corrected me on the part about Saunders and confirmed her being able to speak English. Contrary to what I said, Varlamov doesn't actually live with Steve Saunders, but rather spends "a lot of time with him and some with his family as well." For an example of Varlamov's relationship with Saunders's family: http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/64189cda0ac711e398bc22000ae80f0b_7.jpg . EDIT 2: vtcapsfan99 has provided me with a wealth of information. Footage of the Halloween party, which shows Varlamov singing karaoke and her lawyer alleges is relevant (i.e. he is supposed to appear drunk in it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOhoHdLwD0g . Report stating Varlamov doesn't drink: http://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sporta/Hokkej/NHL/spbnews_NI412906_Eksklyuziv-Sportboxru-po-delu-Varlamova. Slava Malamud agreed (https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/statuses/395895784283336704), saying, "At least one allegation against Varlamov (specifically, that he was drunk when the incident happened) reeks to high heavens." Another report states the same thing: http://gorod.samara24.ru/news/sport/2013/11/01/znakomyjj_semi_varlamovykh_semen_voobshhe_ne_pet/. Russian video report: http://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/5169/episode_id/929059. Translation: http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showpost.php?p=75044495&postcount=713. Update to the recorded conversation: Slava Malamud, "... she says "I probably went there for this situation (to occur)". Her friend reminisces about the time Vavrinyuk was hitting Varlamov...", https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/status/406979868505567233. Again, according to Slava Malamud, she still believes their relationship isn't estranged: Vavrinyuk says, "He won't go to jail. It will be such a show if we get back together again!", https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/status/406980322023075840. Igor Eronko, "Lifenews.ru published Evgeniya Vavrinyuk's phone talk record where she said she planned to break up with Varlamov before she came to US", https://twitter.com/IgorEronko/status/406820943470673920. Id., "Vavrinyuk also confirmed she hit Semyon Varlamov first that night", https://twitter.com/IgorEronko/status/406821805748277248. Lokomotiv's team president: http://itar-tass.com/sport/754097. Varlamov's youth hockey coach: http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/655572. Kovy on the situation: “I hope he makes a deal with his “princess” and she gets her green card, which is all she wants”, https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/status/409075252623204352. This is about 25% of what I was given, but lack of sleep has caught up with me, and citing all the possible sources (as vtcapsfan99 has done) is not a minor undertaking. EDIT 3: MHH's managing editor reminds me to add that the DA found that the bruises on her body were not consistent with her allegations; they were too minor and found on her abdomen and wrist. Note that he was accused of kicking her in the chest. I can't provide a source for this yet, although this report does suggest inconsistencies in the case.