Telegram CEO Pavel Durov and girlfriend Julia Vavilova, revealed in posts on the messaging platform, that they lost their baby in the 10th of week of her pregnancy. The 24-year-old had gone mysteriously offline following Durov's arrest in Paris, France, which triggered wild speculations and conspiracies online.
Vavilova, a crypto coach and livestreamer from Dubai, has been identified as the Telegram founder's partner, although he had not publicly acknowledged her as his girlfriend until recently.
The stress and anxiety caused by Durov's arrest, which was met with a wave of hatred online, allegedly led to the loss of their unborn baby at 10th week of pregnancy. She was viciously attacked by far-left trolls online for her association with Durov because of his support for free speech on social media.
Vavilova has spoken publicly about the ordeal, stating that everything “came at once” -- Durov's arrest, lies, and hate directed towards her -- and that it would have been easy to give up or go insane, but they chose to “embrace this new reality amidst the uncertainty.”
Here are detailed posts by Durov and Vavilova making the revelations and clarifying her whereabout during Durov's ordeal in Paris.
Durov writes,
"On the 27th of August 2024, I was still in the police station in Paris. It was my third day there. With no devices or internet access, it felt like an extreme digital detox.
"That day I was having my regular hours-long interview with the police. Between the questions, I asked my lawyer if my ❤️ Julia would come for questioning too. He said she was expected to, but couldn’t come. I pressed him on the reasons. “Got scared? Left Paris?”, I asked. He hesitated. “She’s pregnant,” he finally said.
"It was not the answer I expected at that moment. I remained calm throughout my time in police custody, but this turn of events caught me off guard. After a pause, I said: “Thank you for the good news”. Other people present — the translator, the clerk, the policeman — produced awkward smiles.
"I later learnt that the police didn’t know how to break the news of Julia’s pregnancy to me. The circumstances were not exactly celebratory. Julia was alone in a foreign country she’d never been to before. No one knew when I would be able to talk to her again.
"Luckily, I was released late in the evening the next day. As I entered the rooftop terrace of the place Julia was staying at, magnificent fireworks erupted right in front of me. Below, the opening ceremony of the Paralympics had just begun.
"But the mood was not festive. I learnt that while I was away, the pressure on Julia had been insane. Some blogger started a rumor that she was a 'Mossad agent.' Other people came up with the nonsensical idea that it was her posts (and not my chartered flight details) that had prompted the police to welcome me at the airport.
"With her devices confiscated, she couldn’t access her accounts on Telegram and Instagram for weeks. Her going radio silent on social media provoked even more speculation. Cyber-bullying aimed at her kept reaching new highs.
"Julia stood strong. But, unlike me, she wasn’t used to hostility. She is not made for war.
"Two days ago, she was visiting the doctor who monitored her pregnancy. I was in the middle of my 12-hour work day when Julia sent me “😭😭😭” from the doctor’s office. I instantly knew what was wrong."
Julia writes,
"24.08.24
"After landing in Paris, we were held at the airport for 3 hours. Police checked all our belongings and took our devices. Luckily I managed to call my mom before that so she wouldn’t worry. Then they let me and Mario (Pavel’s assistant) go, but kept Pavel in a police station.
"25.08.24
"Woke up disconnected from the world, no device, no idea what was happening. Mario and I stayed positive and went for breakfast, expecting Pavel to join us soon.
"Around 2pm, we bought new phones. Suddenly, we were hit with the news: Pavel could spend 20 years in prison. Bloggers blamed me for Pavel’s arrest, spreading conspiracy theories. The stress was indescribable. A panic attack kicked in.
"Everything came at once: Pavel’s arrest, lies and hate directed towards me. I had no access to my socials, phone, nothing. I couldn’t respond and just had to accept it all.
"For some reason, I felt I needed to take a pregnancy test. Mario said if this were a movie, I’d probably find out I’m pregnant.
"Sitting in a Parisian café, I took the test. The result was in French: “Enceinte 3+”. I ran back upstairs to translate. The shock on my face when it said “Pregnant.” I felt helpless, unable to run to Pavel with the happy news, as he was still unreachable.
"Police asked me to come for questioning. My doctor told me not to go. He said it was dangerous due to the early stage of pregnancy and the stress I was already under. (Spoiler: Four weeks after, I agreed to come and spent 3-4 hours answering questions).
"September
"Month of acceptance, focus on physical and mental health, supporting each other, seeing all the magical changes in my new body 🤰
"It would have been easy to give up or go insane, but we embraced this new reality amidst the uncertainty.
"I never got my phone and laptops back. I was really enjoying magical Paris while being pregnant. In a few weeks I managed to restore access to my socials.
"And then, another twist 🎢
"04.10.24
"The doctor said the baby’s heart wasn’t beating anymore 💔
"It’s hard to describe the pain. We got so used to the idea by then. It was the 10th week.
"05.10.24
"Surgery day. It was quick, with almost no physical pain.
"Now it’s time to heal 🕊
"We managed to cope with so much at once. But it was too much for the little one.."
