Richmond Ballet Hit With Third Abuse Lawsuit, Former Student Claims Years of Sexual Assault, “Fat Letters,” and Staff Threats While She Was Just a Child
What’s the Richmond Ballet Lawsuit About?
A former Richmond Ballet student filed an 85-page lawsuit on December 18, 2025, seeking $11.5 million and alleging she endured years of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse while training at the ballet from age 8 through her teenage years between 2007 and 2015. This marks the third major lawsuit against Virginia’s official state ballet since 2023, with all three cases—now totaling $34.5 million in damages—accusing the institution of creating a “culture of physical and psychological abuse” where students faced dangerous weight requirements, public body shaming through “fat letters,” physical assault, and in this latest case, repeated sexual assault by a male staff member.
Here’s the gut punch: children as young as 10 years old allegedly received letters telling them they were too fat and needed to lose weight or risk losing their spot on stage. Students were allegedly hit, threatened, and subjected to public weigh-ins where their bodies were criticized in front of peers. And in the most recent lawsuit, a former student claims a staff member repeatedly sexually assaulted her as she got older—all while Richmond Ballet’s leadership allegedly allowed this toxic environment to persist for decades.
The Latest Lawsuit: What Happened to the Third Plaintiff
Background: An Eight-Year-Old’s Ballet Dream
The anonymous plaintiff, referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents, began training at Richmond Ballet when she was just 8 years old and remained there through much of her childhood from 2007 to 2015.
According to the 85-page civil complaint filed in Richmond Circuit Court on December 18, she attended the School of Richmond Ballet during a period when staff allegedly created and maintained an abusive culture focused on extreme body control and intimidation.
The “Fat Letters” and Public Humiliation
Throughout her training, the plaintiff alleges students’ weights were “meticulously checked” and that the ballet required public weigh-ins where children’s bodies were scrutinized in front of instructors and other students.
Children who didn’t meet the ballet’s weight standards allegedly received what former students call “fat letters”—written notifications telling them they needed to lose weight or risk being removed from performances and potentially losing their position at the school.
Meanwhile, students who maintained dangerously low weights were rewarded with the best performance spots and lead roles, according to the complaint.
Physical Abuse for Making Mistakes
The lawsuit alleges that when the plaintiff made ballet mistakes during training, she faced physical punishment. She claims she was:
- Hit on the back of the head
- Left with fingernail marks in her skin from staff grabbing her
- Pushed to the floor during one incident where she “feared for her life”
Sexual Assault Allegations
As the plaintiff got older, the complaint alleges a male staff member repeatedly sexually assaulted her. The lawsuit names six individual defendants in addition to Richmond Ballet itself, with four of those individuals still listed as current employees on the company’s staff page as of January 2026.
The First Two Lawsuits: A Pattern Emerges
November 2023: Two Former Dancers Come Forward
Before this latest case, two other former dancers filed similar lawsuits in November 2023, each seeking $11.5 million (combined total of $23 million). One plaintiff was a minor student at Richmond Ballet’s school from ages 6 to 15. The second was a trainee in the professional program.
The Allegations in the Original Cases
Both lawsuits accused Richmond Ballet and its artistic staff of:
- Gross negligence and willful negligence: Failing to protect students from dangerous practices
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress: Creating a toxic environment focused on extreme thinness
- Assault and battery: Specific accusations against Igor Antonov, the artistic associate and Richmond Ballet II director
Dangerous Weight Requirements
The lawsuits alleged Richmond Ballet’s artistic staff set an “optimum Body Mass Index” for each trainee upon entering the program and reserved the right to terminate students who couldn’t maintain that BMI.
This allegedly led to:
- Eating disorders (anorexia specifically mentioned)
- Loss of menstrual cycles
- Long-term health complications including increased risk of osteoporosis, heart issues, and fertility problems
- Severe anxiety and depression
- Persistent injuries due to malnutrition
The Physical Assault Allegations
One former dancer claimed that at age 14, a male instructor put his hands on her neck and threatened to kill her. The lawsuits describe an environment where students were regularly struck, grabbed, and physically intimidated.
The Specific 2014 Incidents
In the December 2025 lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that in 2014, a staff member:
- Required her to maintain a “medically dangerous” amount of body fat or she would not be offered lead roles
- Put his hands in the gap between her thighs to measure thinness
- Threatened her when she resisted this invasive conduct
Richmond Ballet Fought Back—And Lost
The Dismissal Attempts
Richmond Ballet filed motions to dismiss both original lawsuits in 2023, arguing the plaintiffs didn’t adequately plead their allegations and that the cases lacked a legal cause of action.
In legal terms, this is called a “demurrer”—a motion that tests whether the complaint is legally sufficient without challenging the truth of the allegations.
July 2024: Judge Says Lawsuits Can Proceed
On July 30, 2024, Richmond Circuit Court Judge Clarence N. Jenkins Jr. issued a decisive ruling: he overruled the demurrers on every count alleged in both lawsuits.
In his written order, Judge Jenkins explained that when ruling on a demurrer, the only question is whether the claims are legally sufficient to state a cause of action—not whether the allegations are actually true. The judge found they were sufficient.
The allegations of battery and assault against Igor Antonov specifically survived legal scrutiny, with the judge finding the plaintiff “pled sufficient facts” to move forward.
What This Means
By denying Richmond Ballet’s dismissal attempts, Judge Jenkins allowed both lawsuits to proceed to the discovery phase, where both sides exchange evidence, take depositions, and build their cases for trial.
Richmond Ballet’s Response: Denial and Defense
The Richmond Ballet has consistently denied all allegations across all three lawsuits. In statements to local media, the ballet has said:
“We note only that we will vigorously defend the exceptional reputation of Richmond Ballet and our extraordinary artistic team, who, for more than four decades, have provided a safe and supportive environment for aspiring professional and recreational dancers alike.”
Regarding the latest lawsuit filed in December 2025, a Richmond Ballet spokesperson stated:
“The Richmond Ballet recently learned of lawsuit filed against it by a former student concerning alleged incidents that occurred more than 10 years ago. Our priority has always been to provide a safe and supportive environment for aspiring professional and recreational dancers alike, and we take this objective very seriously. The Ballet does not comment on pending litigation as a matter of policy. We will investigate thoroughly and respond to the claims through our legal counsel when appropriate.”
Former artistic director Stoner Winslett, who was named in the earlier lawsuits and announced her retirement in fall 2023 after 44 years with the company, previously told Richmond Magazine: “After all these years of the Richmond Ballet, we’ve never had an employee lawsuit.”
The Health Consequences: Expert Warnings
Why This Matters
According to Julie Knopp, co-founder of the Richmond Center for Eating and Anxiety Disorders, the health consequences of enforced extreme thinness in young dancers are severe and often lifelong:
“Muscle wasting even with the heart, low heart rate and blood pressure. Really, really low ability to maintain any sort of athletic performance long term, so they get a lot of injuries faster. And then long term we can see that being really chronic and leading to lots of other disorders and diseases because of the that cascading effect of the malnutrition.”
Julie Guild, also from the Richmond Center for Eating Disorders, added:
“If that environment is encouraging dieting and perfectionism, then it absolutely can not only ignite the disorder but maintain it. It’s the highest death rate of any psychological illness behind opioid addiction. These are really serious illnesses, and often people who are dancing are choosing between life-saving recovery and their sport of choice.”
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness except opioid addiction—making these allegations particularly serious.
Current Status: Where the Cases Stand Now
The December 2025 Lawsuit
- Filed: December 18, 2025
- Court: Richmond Circuit Court
- Status: Just filed; defendants have not yet responded
- Next Steps: Richmond Ballet and the six individual defendants will have approximately 21 days to respond or file motions
The Original Two Lawsuits (Filed November 2023)
- Status: Discovery phase following July 2024 ruling denying dismissal
- Trial Date: Not yet scheduled
- Expected Timeline: Could take 1-3 years to reach trial or settlement
Total Damages Sought: $34.5 million across all three lawsuits
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the defendants in these lawsuits?
Richmond Ballet itself and multiple individual staff members, including Igor Antonov (artistic associate and Richmond Ballet II director). The latest lawsuit names six individuals, four of whom are still current employees as of January 2026.
Why are the plaintiffs anonymous?
Two of the three plaintiffs have been granted permission to proceed anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, particularly given that one was a minor during the alleged abuse. Richmond Ballet has argued their names should be made public.
What is Richmond Ballet’s defense?
Richmond Ballet denies all allegations and maintains it has provided a “safe and supportive environment” for decades. The ballet argued the lawsuits should be dismissed but lost that motion in July 2024.
Is this unusual for ballet companies?
Unfortunately, no. Eating disorders and body weight pressure are longstanding issues in classical ballet. Similar lawsuits and complaints have emerged at other prestigious companies. The Cleveland Ballet suspended its executive and artistic directors in 2023 over weight-related discrimination allegations.
What happens next?
The newest lawsuit will follow the same path as the first two: Richmond Ballet will respond, discovery will proceed, and the case will either settle or go to trial. Given the complexity and number of defendants, expect 1-3 years before resolution.
Could there be criminal charges?
The lawsuits are civil cases seeking monetary damages. If allegations of sexual assault or child abuse are substantiated, criminal prosecutors could separately file charges, but no criminal cases have been announced.
Can former students join these lawsuits?
These are individual lawsuits, not class actions. However, other former students with similar experiences could file their own separate lawsuits if they choose.
Key Takeaways
✓ Third lawsuit filed December 18, 2025—$11.5 million sought
✓ Total damages across all three cases: $34.5 million
✓ Allegations include sexual assault, “fat letters,” dangerous weight requirements, physical abuse
✓ Judge denied Richmond Ballet’s dismissal attempts in July 2024
✓ All cases remain pending in Richmond Circuit Court
✓ Four of six named individual defendants still employed as of January 2026
✓ Richmond Ballet denies all allegations and vows vigorous defense
✓ Former artistic director Stoner Winslett retired in 2023 after 44 years
Official Resources
- Richmond Circuit Court: https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/richmond/home.html
- Virginia Court Records: https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/search
- National Eating Disorders Association: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
- RAINN (Sexual Assault Hotline): https://www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-4673
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about pending lawsuits against Richmond Ballet and is not legal advice. Allegations in lawsuits are not proven facts. Richmond Ballet has denied the allegations and has the right to defend itself in court.
Last Updated: January 6, 2026
About the Author
Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
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