True Crime-Paranormal-Conspiracy Theories Stories Part V #Wattys2023

Tonya Harding

Tonya Maxene Price (néeHarding; born November 12, 1970) is an American former figureskater, retired boxer and a reality television personality. Born inPortland, Oregon, Harding was raised primarily by her mother, whoenrolled her in ice skating lessons beginning at three years old.Harding spent much of her early life training, eventually droppingout of high school to devote her time to the sport. After climbingthe ranks in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships between 1986 and1989, Harding won the 1989 Skate America competition. She became the1991 and 1994 U.S. champion before being stripped of her 1994 title,and 1991 World silver medalist. In 1991, she became the firstAmerican woman and the second woman in history (after Midori Ito) tosuccessfully land a triple Axel in competition. Harding is a two-timeOlympian and a two-time Skate America Champion.

In January 1994, Harding becameembroiled in controversy when her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly,orchestrated an attack on her fellow U.S. skating rival NancyKerrigan. Both women then competed in the February 1994 WinterOlympics, where Kerrigan won the silver medal and Harding finishedeighth. On March 16, 1994, Harding accepted a plea bargain in whichshe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. As a resultof her involvement in the aftermath of the assault on Kerrigan, theUnited States Figure Skating Association banned her for life on June30, 1994.

From 2003 to 2004, Harding competed asa professional boxer. Her life has been the subject of many books,films, documentaries, and academic studies. In 2014, two televisiondocumentaries were made about Harding's life and skating career(Nancy & Tonya and The Price of Gold), inspiring Steven Rogers towrite the film I, Tonya in 2017, in which Harding was portrayed byAustralian actress Margot Robbie. In 2018, she was a contestant onseason 26 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in third place. In2019, she won season 16 of Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition.

Early life

Tonya Maxene Harding was born onNovember 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon, to LaVona Golden (b. 1940)and Albert Harding (1933–2009). During Harding's youth, her fatherheld various odd jobs (managed apartments, drove a truck, and workedat a bait & tackle store), yet was often underemployed due topoor health. She was raised in East Portland and began skating at agethree, training with coach Diane Rawlinson. During her youth, Hardingalso hunted, drag raced and learned auto mechanics from her father.LaVona struggled to support the family while working as a waitressand hand-sewed her daughter's skating costumes to save money.Harding's parents divorced after 19 years of marriage in 1987, whenshe was 16 years old. She dropped out of Milwaukie High School duringher sophomore year to focus on skating, and earned a GeneralEducational Development (GED) Certificate in 1988.

Harding claimed she was frequentlyabused by her mother. She stated that by the time she was seven yearsold, physical and psychological abuse had become a regular part ofher life. LaVona admitted to one instance of hitting Harding at anice rink. In January 2018, Harding's childhood friend and filmmaker,Sandra Luckow, spoke in defense of Harding's mother because she feltthat the 2017 film I, Tonya stretched some truths about LaVona'scharacter. Luckow said that although Harding's mother could be"egregious" towards her daughter, LaVona funded andappreciated Harding's skating lessons and had "a huge amountof humanity".

In Harding's 2008 authorized biography,The Tonya Tapes (written by Lynda D. Prouse from recorded interviewswith Harding), she said she was the victim of acquaintance rape in1991 and that her half-brother, Chris Davison, molested her onseveral occasions when she was a child. In 1986, Harding called thepolice after Davison had been sexually harassing and terrorizing her.He was arrested and spent a short time in prison. Harding said herparents were in denial about Davison's behavior and told her not topress criminal charges against him. Davison was killed in an unsolvedvehicular hit-and-run accident in 1988. On May 3, 1994, during aninterview with Rolonda Watts, Harding said that Davison was the onlyperson in her life unworthy of forgiveness and "the onlyperson I've ever hated."