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Who Is Tonya Harding?
Tonya Harding is a former American figure skater who rose to prominence in the early 1990s. She made history in 1991 when she became the first American woman to successfully land a triple axel in competition and won her first national skating title. However, her career is often overshadowed by her involvement in a scandal surrounding fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan.
In 1994, Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, hired a hitman to attack Kerrigan during the Olympic trials. While Harding denied direct involvement in the assault, she pleaded guilty to hindering the investigation. This led to her being banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
Despite the controversy, Harding has remained a figure in the public eye, making guest appearances on television shows such as Roseanne, Larry King Live, The Weakest Link, and Celebrity Boxing. She returned to the spotlight with the release of the 2017 biographical film I, Tonya, and later competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2018.
Early Life
Tonya Maxine Harding was born on November 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon. She began skating at the age of three and eventually dropped out of high school during her sophomore year to focus on her skating career, later earning her GED. In 1991, Harding won her first national title, marking a major achievement by becoming the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition.
Tonya Harding at the Olympics
Harding’s Olympic journey included a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships and a fourth-place finish at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. Her landmark achievement came at the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where she made history with her triple axel, cementing her place in figure skating history before her eventual fall from grace.
Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly: A Notorious Partnership
Tonya Harding was married to her first husband, Jeff Gillooly, a conveyor belt operator, from 1990 until 1993. During their marriage, Gillooly often acted as Harding’s manager, but the relationship was fraught with conflict, with Harding accusing him of abuse and filing for divorce twice. Their association became infamous in January 1994 when Gillooly hired a hitman to assault Harding’s competitor, U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The attack aimed to prevent Kerrigan from competing in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway.
Gillooly later pleaded guilty to conspiring in the attack and served prison time. After his release in 1995, he changed his name to Jeff Stone and began working as a used car salesman. The scandal surrounding the Kerrigan attack marked one of the most shocking incidents in sports history.
The 1994 Kerrigan Attack
In a practice session leading up to the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a hitman hired by Gillooly assaulted Nancy Kerrigan, striking her knee with a police baton. The attack caused severe bruising to Kerrigan’s kneecap and quadriceps tendon, forcing her to withdraw from the championships.
Despite her injuries, Kerrigan went on to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics, where she won a silver medal, while Harding, who had also participated, placed eighth. Harding eventually pleaded guilty to hindering the investigation into the attack, allowing her to avoid jail time. However, she was stripped of her gold medal from the 1994 U.S. Championships and banned from competing in U.S. figure skating for life.
Media coverage portrayed the event as a dramatic rivalry, with director Nanette Burstein describing it in her ESPN documentary The Price of Gold as “the evil witch vs. the snow queen.”
Harding’s Post-Skating Career
Following her departure from figure skating in 1994, Harding sought to stay in the public eye. She made several television appearances on shows like Roseanne, Larry King Live, and The Weakest Link. Harding also participated in celebrity boxing, gaining attention for her victory against Paula Jones in the 2002 FOX show Celebrity Boxing. She briefly pursued professional boxing in 2003, making her debut in a match under the Mike Tyson-Clifford Etienne bout. Later, in 2008, Harding appeared as a commentator on the truTV program The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s Dumbest.
Harding’s Personal Life
Tonya Harding has been married three times. Her first marriage to Jeff Gillooly ended in 1993. She married her second husband, Michael Smith, in 1995, but they divorced the following year. In 2010, Harding married Joseph Jens Price. The couple welcomed their son, Gordon, in February 2011.
Media and Film Depictions
Harding’s story has continued to captivate the public. In December 2017, the dark comedy I, Tonya was released, starring Margot Robbie as Harding. The film explores her tumultuous life, including her difficult upbringing, rise to figure skating fame, and the infamous Kerrigan attack. A month later, the ABC special Truth and Lies: The Tonya Harding Story aired, featuring interviews with Harding about her life and the Kerrigan incident.
In the special, Harding acknowledged knowing “something was up” regarding the attack but insisted she was manipulated into the situation. “I am always the bad person and I never understood that,” she remarked in trailers for the documentary.
In 2018, Harding appeared on Dancing with the Stars: Athletes, which included fellow figure skater Adam Rippon and other sports icons. Her participation sparked controversy, but as one of her friends noted, “Tonya gets ratings. God knows, she gets ratings.”