Living in the lap of luxury apparently has its pluses and minuses. Apparently, it can be a scary thing for some people.

Kabaeva scared of being happy

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva, a Russian former gymnast, have been believed to be in a secret relationship for many years.

It seems that the secret was partly uncovered in an interview with some schoolchildren that took place 15 years ago this month, according to the Daily Mail.

At the time, Ms. Kabaeva was a giggly 24-year-old as the children peppered her with some interesting questions.

One of the children asked her if she found her "ideal man."

Kabaeva said she had, and that she loved him very much.

Another of the school children asked, "You said you had a boyfriend? Why aren't you in a rush to marry him? Are you afraid of happiness? Who is he?"

"So you've managed to ask this question. Well done you," Kabaeva responded, coyly.

"As for being scared of happiness, sometimes I am so happy I am scared to be that happy. Of course there are some concerns..."

Kabaeva wouldn't directly name the man with whom she was in a relationship.

Another child asked her if she received any gifts from him.

"An Alaska coat, a coat with fur, very beautiful," Kabaeva said.

That particular gift is one of the early clues that have led people to suspect a relationship between the two.

Putin's rocky marriage ends in divorce

Putin divorced his wife of 30 years, Lyudmila back in 2013, according to the BBC.

"It was a joint decision: we hardly see each other, each of us has our own life," Putin said.

"Our children have grown up; they have their own lives," Mrs Putin added.

The question has been raised as to whether or not President Putin would marry again, perhaps with the intent of marrying Kabaeva, but that has never been confirmed.

However, Putin and Kabaeva are believed to be at least living together at the forest palace by Lake Valdayskoye, which is halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to the Mirror.

It's suspected that they may have had children together, who are also living at the palace, but that has never been confirmed.

U.S. places sanctions on Kabaeva

The U.S. made a point of placing sanctions on Kabaeva back in 2022 because of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, according to NPR.

Kabaeva, now 39, was recently in the media again because of a comment she made on the nation's state media in support of Russian's invasion of the Ukraine, according to Newsweek.

"Our people need this success because information work today in the conditions in which we live and fight for our country is like a weapon of war," Kabaeva said, according to a translation in a video circulating online. "It is as important as the Kalashnikov assault rifle. And war correspondents know this. Let's work."