In a shocking revelation, disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding has finally confessed to being aware of the plot to break the leg of her Olympic rival, Nancy Kerrigan, in 1994.
Harding, now 47 years old, claims that she overheard her then-husband Jeff Gillooly and bodyguard Shawn Eckardt discussing an attack on one of her competitors.
The duo later enlisted the help of Shane Stant, who assaulted Kerrigan with a baton, striking her above the knee just five weeks before the Olympics.
Despite the attack, Kerrigan only suffered bruising and went on to win the Silver medal at the games in Norway.
During an interview on ABC's Truth and Lies: The Tonya Harding Story, Harding admitted to hearing a conversation between her husband and Eckardt.
She described Eckardt as “dumb as a post.”
She said, “I knew something was up,” but maintained that she had no role in the vicious attack.
Harding, who finished eighth at the '94 Olympics, referred to herself as a “pawn” who paid the “ultimate price.”
She expressed her frustration at always being portrayed as the villain, saying, “I'm always the bad person.
And I never understood that.”
The skater, hailing from Portland, Oregon, claimed to have feared for her life multiple times due to her former spouse's volatile behavior.
Harding discussed the moment she realized that the truth about the attack would be revealed to the American public.
She said, “I get angry, nobody wanted to ever believe me.
When I found out that the truth was finally going to come out.”
She added, “My skating was great.
But my life was in shambles.”
After Eckardt was reported to the FBI by one of his friends, he implicated Gillooly, who then agreed to testify against Harding in exchange for a plea bargain, effectively ending their troubled marriage.
In March 1994, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiring to hinder prosecution of her husband and others involved.
She received three years probation, 500 hours of community service, and a $100,000 fine.
There was much controversy surrounding whether Harding should be allowed to skate in the Olympics.
The US Olympic Committee scheduled a hearing to discuss her removal from the team.
In response, Harding filed a $25 million lawsuit against the Committee, and they ultimately backed down, allowing her to participate in the games.
Six months after the attack, Harding was stripped of her titles and banned from US figure skating for life.
The extraordinary story has been adapted into the critically acclaimed movie, I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie as Harding.
The film, which has received numerous award nominations, is set to release in the UK on February 23.
Watch the trailer for the highly anticipated ice skating film, I, Tonya, featuring Margot Robbie.
