Oksana Baiul overcame personal tragedy—her father left the family when she was very young, and by 1991 her mother and maternal grandparents had died—to become a champion figure skater. At age 16 she won an Olympic gold medal at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Baiul subsequently moved to the United States and began a professional career, performing in various shows, including The Wizard of Oz on Ice. She also signed lucrative endorsement contracts. However, her skating was hampered by injuries and a late growth spurt. In 1997 she was arrested on drunken-driving charges following a single-car accident that left her with a concussion. She entered an alcohol rehabilitation program the next year, and the charge was cleared soon after. Baiul continued to occasionally perform.
In 2012 Baiul married Carlo Farina, a business executive who became her manager. The couple had a daughter, Sophia Farina before divorcing in 2025. Farina was granted primary custody of their child, and Baiul was required to undergo drug and alcohol testing.