Putin ‘enemy’ who uncovered affair with sex-mad lover dies after ‘consuming toxic mushrooms’
Exiled editor Grigory Nekhoroshev, who exposed Vladimir Putin’s secret affair with a gymnast, has died aged 69 after reportedly eating poisonous mushrooms in Latvia
Journalist Grigory Nekhoroshev, who branded himself Putin’s ‘enemy’, has died after consuming toxic mushrooms(Image: Grigory Nekhoroshev/e2w)
A journalist who branded himself Vladimir Putin’s “personal enemy” after unmasking the Russian president’s secret affair with a glamourous gymnast has died after reportedly consuming toxic mushrooms. Exiled editor Grigory Nekhoroshev passed away aged 69 in the Latvian capital of Riga, where he had spent the last 11 years living as a “political refugee”, according to local news outlet Delfi.
Nekhoroshev famously spearheaded the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent. Back in 2008, the publication sent shockwaves through the Kremlin by reporting that Putin was planning to divorce his then-wife Lyudmila to tie the knot with sex-mad Olympic gold medallist Alina Kabaeva.
The bombshell scoop painted a massive target on Nekhoroshev’s back, leaving him “quite nervous throughout those Riga years” over fears he could be targeted by Putin’s ruthless hitmen.
Delfi reported: “Nekhoroshev was the first to reveal the name of the [Russian leader’s] common-law wife, rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabaeva. Putin clearly did not forgive him for that.”
Tragically, pals said the journalist died at his Riga property after eating wild mushrooms he had foraged from his own yard. Despite being an experienced mushroom aficionado, the fungi is claimed to have turned out to be lethal.
Latvian authorities have not yet commented on the tragedy, which occurred on Friday, but an autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Tributes have poured in for the fearless media figure. High-profile Russian journalist Bozhena Rynska, who is also based in Latvia, branded his sudden death “incomprehensible”.
Meanwhile, close friend Igors Vatoļins, who saw Nekhoroshev shortly before his passing, described the ex-editor as “a not-old, not-ill person, full of ideas and plans”.
The 2008 expose completely derailed Nekhoroshev’s life in Russia. Following the publication, the paper’s owner – former KGB spy turned billionaire banker Alexander Lebedev – was forced to shut down Moskovsky Korrespondent entirely.
Nekhoroshev was subjected to intense interrogation by secret services “with threats,” forcing him to flee his homeland for safety.
At the time, a furious Putin lashed out at the claims surrounding his romance with Kabaeva – who is three decades his junior – lamming “those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others’ lives”.
While Putin and Kabaeva initially denied the explosive reports, the relationship is now widely known to be accurate and ongoing.
To this day, the Russian tyrant has refused to publicly acknowledge his romance with Kabaeva, 43, though the pair are understood to share two secret children together: Ivan, 11, and seven-year-old Vladimir.
