Journalist and television host Ksenia Sobchak shared on Instagram (the platform owner has faced designation as an extremist entity and bans in Russia) that actress Tatyana Vasilyeva declined to grant her an interview.
Sobchak did not dispute that about eighteen months earlier her production team had approached Vasilyeva for a conversation. According to Sobchak, a close associate of Vasilyeva indicated that the star agreed to interviews only for money. The presenter noted that Vasilyeva’s standard engagement fee sits at 300 thousand rubles.
“We were taken aback, we were surprised, and the negotiations for this matter concluded thoughtfully,” the presenter commented.
Sobchak added that she would be willing to pay the fee now. “Maybe, for an extra 100,000, you’ll tell me that Maxim Galkin (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia) is also a Witcher?” the journalist quipped.
During the broadcast of the YouTube program “Empati Manuchi,” Vasilyeva described Sobchak as a “witch” who refused to meet with the host due to personal antagonism. The actress accused the journalist of provocation and a lack of empathy. Vasilyeva also hinted that Sobchak might eventually leave Russia.
“A witch is a wise woman, I’ve come to understand that personally. I take this trait as a compliment,” Sobchak remarked. “The important thing is that Tatyana Vasilyeva did not force me to burn with anger.”
[Citation: Sobchak interview dynamics and Vasilyeva statements, contemporary media coverage of the exchange].