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Tonya Harding has glided into a new social media account – and fans are now bringing up a sore subject.
On Tuesday, January 29, the 54-year-old former professional figure skater posted a video to X (formerly Twitter) reintroducing herself to the world.
“Hey everyone I am Tonya Harding and I’m on X!” she exclaimed in the short clip. “Oh my God I’m so excited Happy New Year! Join me there and let’s chat it up. Love you. God bless, bye.”
The two-time U.S. champion appeared bare-faced as she wore a blue quarter-zip jacket, donned red nail polish, and had her long blonde hair in a ponytail.
“Hi everyone! I’ve finally figured out how to make an account on here!! I’m very excited to reconnect with you all (if anyone remembers me) With love, Tonya,” she captioned her post.
Former Olympic Ice Skater Tonya Harding answers reporter’s questions following her exhibtion boxing match in Indianapolis, IN. Former Olympic Ice Skater Tonya Harding answers reporter’s questions following her exhibtion boxing match in Indianapolis, IN. Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Fans didn’t hold back in the comment section, joking about kneecaps — a reference to the infamous 1994 attack on Nancy Kerrigan (Harding’s former figure skating rival), which many people believe she orchestrated. Kerrigan, then 24, suffered after being hit with a baton one day before a major skating competition.
“This tweet hit me like a crowbar to the knee,” one fan commented.
“Man, what happened to you. It’s like a club to the knee seeing you again,” a second person wrote.
“Just here for the knee-jerk reactions,” a third fan commented.
Another individual wrote, “Blast from the past… when athletes really knew how to take a knee.”
Hi everyone! I’ve finally figured out how to make an account on here!!
I’m very excited to reconnect with you all (if anyone remembers me) 😄
With love, Tonya pic.twitter.com/lfhiwdeYbY
— Tonya Harding (@itstonyaharding) January 29, 2025
In January 1994, a day before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kerrigan’s right leg was struck by a baton. The assailant, Shane Stant, was hired by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt, to break her right knee. Harding and Kerrigan were set to compete against each other.
Harding herself faced legal consequences as she pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to hinder prosecution.” The Olympian’s plea deal consisted of three years of probation, a fine, and 500 hours of community service. Additionally, she received a lifetime ban from figure skating.
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