On the anniversary of Zhanna Friske's death, Dmitry Shepelev explained why he doesn't allow his son to see her relatives
Friske's father, in response, threatens to disinherit his grandson. He says that if he doesn't meet Platon, he will bequeath the apartment to his other granddaughter.
Dmitry Shepelev. Photo from his Instagram
June 15 marked the anniversary of the death of the famous Russian singer Zhanna Friske. On this occasion, her widower Dmitry Shepelev wrote a long post on his social networks — the Belarusian showman dedicated it to their common son Platon and his maternal relatives.
Dmitry Shepelev and Zhanna Friske. Photo: woman.ru
He said that a large photo of his mother stands on the 13-year-old boy's desk.
"Today Platon and I will buy flowers, as always on this day, and hug each other tightly. 'Don't forget, mom is always near,' I repeat the same words to him. I see her continuation in Platon: his smile, gestures, they even stay silent similarly. Zhanna is always near. She stays with us quietly, every day, without a date on the calendar. How could it be otherwise? The memory of her belongs to our son, our family, and millions of people who loved her and for whom she became an image of her time — bright, talented, so beautiful."
Screenshot of Dmitry Shepelev's Instagram post
Dmitry emphasized that he himself is already 43 years old — older than Friske was when she died. He added that with each passing year, he increasingly sympathizes with Zhanna's parents, who lost their daughter early.
Zhanna Friske's grave. Story by her sister Natalia
The host admitted that during this time he received dozens of requests from them to meet their grandson — but he refused every time.
Dmitry also voiced the reason for such a harsh decision. He claims that the grandmother and grandfather wanted to see Platon in a television studio, in front of cameras and in public. Shepelev assures that no other options, besides meetings on air, were offered to him.
Screenshot of Dmitry Shepelev's Telegram channel
"It pains me deeply that Platon's closest relatives irrevocably missed his childhood, were not with him on ordinary days, without cameras and occasions. This is something that cannot be brought back or refilmed. I cry when I think about it. This is their choice, their pain, and I cannot change it."
Shepelev emphasized: as a father, he has the right to decide who his son will see. But Platon's meetings with someone should not turn into material for broadcast, because family is not content: "I say this calmly and without resentment: what happens between close people does not need filming and editing."
About Platon, the host said that he is growing up in love and peace — and that's all other people need to know about him.
Dmitry Shepelev with his wife Ekaterina Tulupova. Photo from Dmitry's Instagram
It should be noted that Shepelev has been living with designer Ekaterina Tulupova for many years. They met in 2016 (Dmitry's son and Ekaterina's daughter went to the same kindergarten), and in 2021, their common son Tikhan was born. But the couple officially registered their marriage only last year.
Zhanna Friske's son Platon Shepelev
Platon's godmother, TV presenter and singer Olga Orlova, who was a close friend of Zhanna Friske, also commented on Dmitry's post. Earlier, in an interview, Orlova said that she last saw the boy when he was two years old. After that, she repeatedly asked Dmitry for a meeting with her godson, but he refused. Olga speculated that the reason might be that she is associated in Shepelev's mind with a time he doesn't want to remember.
In the comments, Orlova wrote: "Dima, please let me meet Platon. Without cameras, TV studios, and content." Shepelev replied succinctly: "Olga, I wrote to you in direct messages."
Shepelev's post outraged Zhanna Friske's 73-year-old father. Vladimir commented to journalists on the accusation made by his grandson's father: "He hid Platon and somewhere wrote that we only want to see him through a camera. We haven't seen him for 12 years! What do we want? Through what cameras? Who is agreeing to what? We don't even have his contacts, I don't understand what he's getting at. We haven't spoken to him for many years."
Zhanna Friske (right) with her mother, sister, and son. Photo: woman.ru
Vladimir Friske stated that his family tried to contact Platon: they wrote to the boy on social networks, contacted his school, and Dmitry's new partner. But she did not want to be an intermediary in this matter. Zhanna Friske's father does not want to see Shepelev himself.
Vladimir Friske threatens: if they are not allowed to see their grandson, the grandparents may disinherit him. The discussion is about Zhanna Friske's Moscow apartment, which her parents received after their daughter's death. Real estate agents estimate the elite property to be worth approximately 830-970 thousand dollars.
Zhanna Friske's parents with their youngest granddaughter Luna. Photo from Natalia Friske's Instagram
Zhanna's father says that if he doesn't meet Platon, he might leave the apartment to his granddaughter from his other daughter, Natalia:
"One must understand that I am no longer a young man, and God forbid if something happens... Then everyone will be left with nothing; these issues need to be resolved. We don't see our grandson, and it's unclear what will happen next. I've decided that if nothing changes, I will soon transfer everything to my younger granddaughter, Lunyasha, and then Platon will be left with nothing."