Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam chose to miss the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, instead watching the spectacle unfold from her bed just one day after facing accusations of being a "diva."
The 26-year-old, who is engaged to YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul, decided against joining fellow athletes at Milan's iconic San Siro stadium as the Games officially commenced.
Rather than participating in the celebrations alongside her Dutch teammates, the silver medallist from the Beijing Winter Olympics viewed the proceedings on television from her accommodation.
Her absence from the ceremony follows recent controversy surrounding her travel arrangements to the Milano Cortina Games.
Leerdam posted an image to her Instagram stories showing the Netherlands delegation taking centre stage and greeting spectators inside the famous venue.
The 27-year-old accompanied the photograph with an orange heart emoji, a lion symbol and the Dutch national flag as her teammates waved to the crowd.
While athletes from nations across the globe gathered at the stadium to celebrate the start of the latest Winter Olympics edition, the speed skater remained absent from the festivities.
Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam chose to miss the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, instead watching the spectacle unfold from her bed just one day after facing accusations of being a "diva."
|GETTY
Her social media activity confirmed she was following the event remotely, choosing to support her country's representatives from afar rather than standing among them.
The decision to skip the ceremony came merely 24 hours after Dutch television pundit Johan Derksen lambasted her for travelling to the Games via private jet rather than alongside her national teammates.
The former footballer turned analyst did not mince his words when addressing her conduct.
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Jutta Leerdam posted from her bed
|"She should want it of her own accord," Derksen stated.
"She's already living like a millionaire, with private jets and everything."
He continued: "Her behaviour is horrible to me, like that of a diva.
"If I were her coach, I wouldn't tolerate that.
"Gradually the whole of the Netherlands is starting to get a bit fed up with her behaviour."
Jutta Leerdam will compete for the Netherlands at the Winter Olympics | GETTYLeerdam had documented her solo journey to Italy extensively on social media, showcasing personalised bunting and cupcakes aboard the aircraft, along with a television screen displaying her image and an elaborate meal as part of her lavish travel experience.
The series of photographs and videos from her flight sparked the criticism from Derksen, who took particular issue with her choice to travel separately from the Dutch squad.
Despite the controversy surrounding her arrival, the Beijing silver medallist remains focused on her competitive schedule at the Games.
She is due to compete in the women's 1000m speed skating event on Monday, followed by the 500m race on 15 February.