The two primary participants in the 1994 figure skating controversy that engulfed the country were Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. It all began in January 1994, just before the US Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, when Kerrigan, a fellow skater, was struck in the knee.
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Many people heard the pounding that Kerrigan endured from all across the world. This act of sabotage and the trials that followed would dominate many news outlets and popular culture for many years. Now known as “the whack heard around the world,” the case is well-known.
The narrative of Tonya and Kerrigan developed into one of the most epic sports soap operas in the annals of modern sports. Over the years, Tonya has spoken out more about the historic incident than Kerrigan. Every time the subject is brought up, people have a few inquiries, such as what the two main players are doing now and what they each think about the earlier times.
Following that, Tonya, a rival contestant, would be chosen for the US figure skating team for the 1994 Winter Olympics. Jeff Gillooly, who was at the time Harding’s husband, and her bodyguard Shawn Eckardt were taken into custody not long after the guys who injured Kerrigan. Investigators began to suspect Harding as a result of this.
In the end, Tonya was found guilty of her involvement in the attack and was accused by the court of “conspiracy to hinder prosecution.” She received a $160,000 fine and three years of probation as punishment. The US Figure Skating Association’s lifelong suspension and revocation of her titles was the biggest shocker to her, though.
The Post-Incident Lives of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan
After the incident, Tonya tried her luck in music, but she was unsuccessful. She later turned pro in boxing. However, it didn’t last for very long. Tonya did manage to win one or two matches while in it, though.
She reportedly left due to health issues. The Tonya Tapes, Harding’s biography, was then published. This occurred in 2008. Years later, in 2017, she consented to a deal for a biopic in which Margot Robbie would portray her.
Harding acknowledged that she is still involved in skating and currently practices three times per week in an interview with Ellen Degeneres in February 2018. According to Tonya’s social media, she has recently appeared to be very busy with her cameo roles.
Kerrigan has recently worked in the entertainment and television industries on the professional front. She has appeared on a number of popular networks since the incident, including SNL and Boy Meets World.
Since then, she has made appearances on many programs, including Skating With Celebrities. As a special correspondent at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Kerrigan also covered those events.
The ex-athlete from Massachusetts made an appearance in a Flea Market Flip episode in 2016. She participated in Dancing With The Stars the next year. She also started appearing as a guest on Keeping Up With The Kardashians that year. 2018 saw Kerrigan take on the role of Super Bowl correspondent for Inside Edition.
Additionally, Nancy is the author of the book Artistry On Ice. She keeps herself busy in the interim by performing for a corporate sponsor.
Speaking of 2022, Kerrigan was reportedly spotted having fun at the Winter Sports Festival in Utah in February with her family, according to her Instagram. She promoted the Olympians for Ice Dreams program during the summer at the Wilmette Centennial Ice Rink in Wilmette, Illinois.
Harding and her husband Joseph Jens Price, also Joe, celebrated their 12-year wedding anniversary in June of this year. With an old photo of herself and her hubby and the message, she shared about it on Instagram.
Happy anniversary to my lovely hubby of 12 years; thank you for your love, trust, and faith in me. I will always adore you.
Since 2010, Joe and Harding have been a married couple. On June 23, 2010, Tonya and Joseph became husband and wife. Gordon was born to the couple on February 19, 2011, one year later. Recent sources claim that Harding and her family reside in Vancouver, Washington.
Harding is more approachable and outgoing than Kerrigan, particularly through her Instagram. The former figure skater, who was born in Oregon, has the handle @therealtonyaharding on the image-sharing website.
The same as Tonya, Kerrigan is married. She has three children with her husband and agent, Jerry Solomon. On September 9, 1995, Solomon and Kerrigan were united in marriage.
While Jerry’s was his third, Nancy’s was her first. Matthew was the couple’s first child, arriving in 1996. Their second child was Brian in 2005, and their third was Nicole in 2008.
In a previous interview, Kerrigan disclosed that she had six miscarriages in eight years. While attempting to conceive three children, she went through all of this. Nancy is said to live in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, with her family.
How wealthy are Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding individually? How much are they worth?
Sadly, Tonya’s employment possibilities were constrained as a result of that notorious event. It’s safe to conclude that a significant portion of her prospective earnings were affected by the controversy. She apparently has a net worth of more than $150,000, though.
After that tragic night in 1994, Harding would make a fortune doing interviews and reality TV. She reportedly received $600,000 for an Inside Edition appearance in 1994. Nancy Kerrigan continued to make at least tens of thousands of dollars per year by participating in the Q&As in the years that followed. She would also receive money and other benefits from the 2018 film I Tonya.
On the other side, Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya’s former competitor in the professional ring, is a lot wealthier than Harding. She apparently has a net worth of $10 million or more, making her a millionaire.
Naturally, Kerrigan makes most of her money from her athletic career, but, like Harding, Nancy also benefits from attention and popular sympathy. Since she was the victim of a terrible assault, Nancy has made newsworthy appearances on venerable TV shows, in the news, and in other places.
Do Nancy and Tonya get along?
Although Kerrigan has spoken about the incident, she has only sometimes offered her opinions. She does, in fact, view the events differently from Harding. In a Feb. 2014 interview with the New York Post, Kerrigan discussed the abuse she endured and said,
The actor, director, or reporter claimed that she still wonders, “Why me?” The experience “just changed everything (for her),” she continues.
Kerrigan reportedly declined to watch I, Tonya as well. While she didn’t give reasons, she did tell Boston Globe in January 2018 that she was “busy living her life.” She apparently thought it strange that Tonya seemed to be looking for redemption in a movie.
Harding, meanwhile, continues to this day to assert her innocence and numerous apologies. Tonya claimed that Kerrigan ceased being deserving of her time long ago in an interview with NBC’s Mary Carillo. The former boxer claimed that after having shown her innocence, some people still believe she is to blame for everything.
However, Tonya admitted to Oprah in 2009 that she wanted she could give Nancy a big embrace and tell her that she was brave to put the past behind her and go on.
Whatever the case, it is obvious that Harding and Kerrigan are not necessarily buddies. Nancy and Tonya hardly qualified as friends even before the affair. They were merely acquaintances from the workplace.
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