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An Open Letter To All My Fans - Finally I am Standing up for Myself
Blog | July 14, 2013
I didn’t think that I would have to deal with this, but it came to the point when I just have to stand up for myself. It came to my attention that my soon to be ex-husband wrote a post about our marriage in which he pictured me as an abusive monster that used him to get to Los Angeles only to dump him, dump BodyRock.Tv that we’ve build together and become a star. My stomach literally turned upside down when I read all of those horrible things he wrote about me that are absolutely not true. I keep being bullied by this man who took literally everything from me.
Here is my side of the story. Freddy and I have build BodyRock.Tv a fitness/personal blog that became very successful. We traveled, had fun, shot hundreds of workout videos that went viral on youtube. BodyRock.Tv was a very successful business that was making us a lot of money. It was insane. We had everything but home. I did not want to live in Canada and my husband did not want to live in Prague. We tried a little country in Mediterranean – Malta, but it still didn’t feel like home to either of us. In 2011 we were contacted by a large talent agency and production company from Los Angeles to discuss a possible business opportunity. It sounded great and we were both excited to move to L..A.
We moved to Los Angeles in May 2011 and rented an expensive house in West Hollywood for the entire year. While we did not close a deal with the production company and did not get representation from the talent agency, we both felt strong about BodyRock.Tv and wanted to keep growing. Our relationship on the other hand was not at all in good shape. It was not because I was a monster wife that would physically and emotionally abuse my husband. We had serious issues that caused disconnection on my part. I was not happy about the creative direction of our videos and the way I was being portrait and perceived. While I was happy about the numbers on youtube and growing business I was feeling more and more embarrassed about my sexualized image. Don’t get me wrong, I like sexy, and confident, but I don’t enjoy having camera close up my cleavage and elsewhere. That was also a reason why we did not get any sponsorships or representation by any large talent agency despite of the popularity online. I felt like our goals were different. I wanted a clean family friendly blog that people wouldn’t be embarrassed to share with their friends, and Freddy wanted to see bigger numbers. I felt like I was being controlled in every aspect of my life. I didn’t even have my own cellphone for the first few months in Los Angeles. Apparently it wasn’t needed. If anyone wanted to talk to me, they can call my husbands cell phone.
Another issue in our relationship was our intimacy. I was not as physical with my husband as he wanted me to be which led to frustrations on his part and disappointment and disconnection on mine. I couldn’t get a hug from him to be comforted, without him being sexual with me. I could no longer imagine to have family with this man. I knew that I would not be able to look into my children’s eyes and tell them that their dad is the love of my life.
I decided that the best thing for both of us would be to separate as a couple and remain best friends and business partners. While I can’t deny that Freddy was devastated by my decision, it was not true that he had to leave to his home town in Canada. I told him that our house was big enough for both of us. We had two separate bedrooms. I offered him that I would help him to get through the changes and that I would not be the first one to date other people if he decides to stay. I wanted him to be happy and I wanted us to keep growing BodyRock.Tv.
He decided to leave me in Los Angeles and went back to his home town in Canada with his family. I was fine with that and I have to say that I felt relieved and was excited for the new beginnings. Freddy and I were in touch every day and talked about BodyRock.Tv and how we are going to continue as business partners. We agreed on bringing in other girls as hosts of the workout videos. However my idea of hiring a camera guy to shoot my workout videos was denied by my husband. No one was allowed to shoot videos of me. That’s why you could see me doing only short intros to the workouts having my camera on tripod. I was also doing some nutrition and diet posts, but I felt very limited by not having anyone to help me. We were both feeling overwhelmed by the change, because we were used to working together and we were very good at working together.
Things got very tough when his new girlfriend Lisa Marie came to the picture. While I thought that him having a new girlfriend, a person that will be there for him, will make things a lot easier, I was wrong. Up until then, we were friends, partners and we were getting along. If you were following BodyRock.Tv back then you must have noticed that I have basically vanished right after her very first post. In December 2011, Freddy’s attitude towards me changed completely. He became incredibly mean, he denied me an access to BodyRock.Tv and all the social media we’ve build together. Since I had no access to our Canadian business account, and owned only 49% of the company, I was relying on him to pay me monthly dividends. My future was completely in his hands. When I asked for my dividends he told me to first sign a non-compete agreement. What that means is that I wouldn’t be allowed to ever have my own fitness blog or to ever do a workout video online. I felt like I was being controlled again and threatened on top of that. It was never my intension to leave BodyRock.Tv. I was forced to leave to keep my independence and dignity. He told me to lawyer up and the last email I got from him stated exactly this: “I want you to sell the company car that your mom is using. Aww, isn’t it horrible that your mom that has nothing won’t even have the car?” That my friends right there was the end of our friendship. I couldn’t believe it. Of course I did not sell the car and my mom still has it.
What happened next is that he wrote a post on BodyRock.Tv that would portray me as a bad person that betrayed him in every possible way. He wrote that he was being forced and manipulated to write the post about us breaking up. That was the post with the picture of us sitting on the front step of the house in West Hollywood. Just to let you know, nobody was forcing him to write what he did. While I was pushing for him to post the truth about us not being a couple, he wanted to write it in his own words and told me not to let anyone know that I left him. I was fine with that.
At that time, I decided that I will not give up and that I will continue doing what I love and he or nobody else will ever stop me. I contacted Darren from Watch it now entertainment, explained him the entire situation and asked him if he wants to be my partner. We clicked as friends immediately and we were on the same page when it comes to fitness, blogging and my image as a trainer. I got hired by his company and got my work visa instantly. After that, you know the story. We started shooting ZWOWs and I tried to get back on my feet. I can never thank Darren and his team at Watch It Now Entertainment enough, who all helped me when I had absolutely nothing. I am also forever thankful to my boyfriend who stood by me the entire time and gave me the kind of love and home that I have always dreamed off.
I filed for divorce in January 2012, however I am still waiting for the divorce to happen, because my husband is way too power hungry and wants my 49% of BodyRock.Tv which he thinks is worth his signature on our divorce papers and nothing more. I was also threatened by a letter from his lawyer that I might be deported back to Czech Republic if I won’t stop doing ZWOWS and sign the non-compete agreement with BodyRock.Tv. I guess he assumed that I didn’t get my visa.
I have received way more abuse from him in the form of online bullying. He said so many bad things about me on his Facebook and other social media and I have never stood up for myself. For some weird reason I thought that he is really not that kind of person and that maybe he’s just very hurt that I left him. I thought that he is being like that because he’s probably suffering. Now it got to the point that I am hundred percent certain that all that crap he writes about me is his cover up to justify the fact that he took everything from me and have been actively trying to destroy my career and my online presence. Here he is again with another post trying to hurt me. He didn’t take the most important part of me though–my faith, love, and will power.
Private Member |
Hey Zuzana,
I’m from Ukraine and i wish i could be your friend in real to support you. You must be strong, your ex-husband jealous you and that makes him angry that you still do workouts online. Writing bad about you online shows him as a silly man. What goes around comes around. You must be more stronger and not to show him that you feel bad that will make him more satisfied. Without you BodyRock. Tv is nothing anymore and i’m sure it is not successful :)I’m sure everything is gonna be fine in your life 🙂
Best Wishes! 🙂
Private Member |
Hi Zuzka
A admirer and follower of your workout in Singapore. Ur simple and basic circuit training is tough but love it. Anyways, my respect and admiration of u has gone up a notch for standing up against bullying.
You are a strong woman and I believe you will bounce back from this
Private Member |
Hi Zuzana,
Lots of love from us…. i hope you remember us, we are the couple who did the video spoof of Bodyrock a few years ago. Although you speak about your breakup now for the first time… i always figured something like this has happened. If you look at Bodyrock now, it is so different from what your original message was. You were a nice person to make a parody of, no way we would ever do something like that with Lisa Marie or current Bodyrock.
Keep the faith, love from Amsterdam,
Marcel & Sandra aka Zuzandra
Private Member |
Zuzka,
Never mind what the other says.You cant stop people talk. So dont pay attention to the gossips and be happy with the way you are and with the things you love to do.
Private Member |
I’m so sorry that you have been forced to speak about this private matter. I also cannot believe that you only got 49%, you were the face of Bodyrock.tv and you were absolutely right to want a cleaner approach. I used to tell friends about bodyrock only to have them later give out to me for making them look at something pornographic. However it was your talent and your strength that I wanted to show them, now with this wonderful positive place it’s possible.
The only thing I would say is try to retain some pity in place of anger. Hatred can eat at you but Freddy and Lisa-Marie are just pathetic, everything they produce reeks of commercialism and greed. Whereas when you open your heart in your words and your stories the authenticity is clear to see. Your followers knew the truth without you ever having to verbalize it and now that we know some of the details (the comments confirm) it strengthens that conviction.
I wish you strength in dealing with this divorce and remember that this too will pass =)
Private Member |
Zuzka, I hope everything will work itself out soon and that you’ll be able to move on with your life. It’s a shame that your ex husband is having such a hard time letting go and moving on with his life.
I love your workouts! I hope you don’t stop doing them.
Private Member |
Zuzka, we all love you. <3
Private Member |
We are on your side. We will support you 100%.
Private Member |
Zuzka, you are a really big motivation and a great person! You deserve all the succes you have. All the bad things he says about you, say more about what kind if person he is. It says nothing about you! Keep doing what do do best. Motivate people! And everything will be oke in the end.
Ps. Hire a lowyer and take everything drom gim that belongs to you.. And more 😉
Love you!!!! ❤
Private Member |
Zuzanna, your letter really hit home. My husband and I have discovered yours and Freddy’s creation while you guys were still together and you were our model couple. When we discovered that you two broke it off, we were devastated because we thought you two were such a perfect couple. But not even a month later, my husband told me that he did not want to be married to me anymore either. I was devastated but he said he wanted to remain friends and I was determined to at least make our friendship work. But he did exactly what Freddy did to you (I was also in US on a green card through marriage – I left immediately after our break up). I only left with 1/4 of my belongings with promises from him that he would ship me the rest as well as some money since all the furniture and the car were staying with him (I paid for pretty much all of it). This was one week before Christmas and in January this chick moved in with him and everything changed. Before that we were still friends, talked often and openly and then BAM! all contact severed and needless to say I never got any of my things… He talked trash about me to others but luckily everyone knew how devoted I was to him. So although I am sorry to hear that such horrible things have happened and still continue to happen to you. It was a little bit of a relief to know that bad things do happen to good people and that I’m not the only one who feels like they were betrayed by someone who was supposed to love them.
Good Luck to you!
And Lisa Marie has a body-dismorphia so trust me, Freddy is getting exactly what he deserves – a person with real mental problems!