The film, which has a string of award nominations, hits UK screens on February 23. A camera crew was recording her practice session and showed her leaving the ice rink and walking through a curtain and down a hallway; the camera then cuts out. It's an 18-mile Open Ocean Paddle and each paddler must raise or contribute a minimum of $1500 to participate. Here, Kerrigan exclaimed the now-famous line, "Why? All Information about Shawn Eckhardt Tonya Harding married Jeff Gillooly when she was 19 and divorced him in 1993, a year before the attack. An excellent example of resume fraud is the bizarre 1994 assault against figure skater Nancy Kerrigan arranged by Shawn Eckardt, the bodyguard of Kerrigan's skating rival Tonya Harding. The whole thing created such a stir that it became a national sensation, and Eckardt was a key figure throughout the whole investation. [51] He quit that job in late 1993 and moved to Arizona with his wife. They settled on injuring the person enough so she could not skate. He tracked down Kerrigan and whacked her in the knee with a metal baton. Rogers doesn't discuss whether or not he consulted with Fay to hear her side of the story, and that might be because Harding and her mother have not spoken since 2002. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith served 14 months for his role in the 1994 attack on. Would love your thoughts, please comment. [14] Stant and Smith then planned to carry out the attack together. To some degree, his name faded away with more prominent figures. [38], Shortly after Eckardt had spoken on the phone with Derrick Smith, he visited Gillooly and Harding at their home and quoted $4,500 to execute the plot. Gillooly said he felt "pretty good" about the meeting and thought Smith was competent. You know something was a major cultural phenomenon if SNL parodied it, and Eckardt definitely became a household name for all the wrong reasons in the early '90s. June 21, 1994: Harding manages wrestler Art Barr, "The American Love Machine," for one night. When asked what he wanted people to know about her, Price replied, "She's kind, she's loving, she's a little rough around the edges. Harding told Londer she was. The interview with Diane Sawyer from 1994 is as weird as you'd expect, with Sawyer explaining to viewers that, "Eckhardt has a rsum that makes him out to be a cross between James Bond and. "[23] Harding was granted another restraining order and filed for divorce. "He seemed like a nice guy, and I'm sure he meant well," Duggan added. Sept. 12, 1994: Gillooly enters the Oregon SUMMIT prison boot camp program. Most people who remember the 1994 scandal, during which Harding's figure skating competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, was whacked on the knees with a metal baton as she was practicing for the U.S. Championships, probably remember Eckardt. His resume says he worked in New Zealand and has been schooled at an elite executive protection academy in Aspen, Colo. From 1984 until 1988, the resume says Eckardt worked as a "contract specialists officer" for The Blackstone Corp in Laussane, Switzerland. He said he was also upset for her and later spoke about figure skating politics to his friend Shawn Eckardt. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. She also agrees to resign from the U.S. Nov. 3, 1994: Portland artist Deforrest unveils 60 silk-screen prints of Tonya Harding and charges $5,000 a pop. He died,. But it is Eckardt who looms as a pivotal figure in the investigation. Brian Sean Griffith. A Portland minister, Eugene Saunders, tells investigators he's heard of tape of Eckardt, Gillooly and friend Shane M. Stant discussing the "hit.". [35] He said that in early December 1993, Harding phoned him after the 1993 NHK Trophy competition and was upset about her placement. [88][89] Harding was stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championship title and banned for life from participating in USFSA events as either skater or coach. Those involved dream it might make it to Broadway one day. Rather than focus on the 1994 attack, I, Tonya instead focuses greatly on Harding's upbringing and the backstory that led up to the unbelievable pre-Olympics controversy. [16] Stant stated in a 2018 interview that he was standing "about a foot and a half" (around half a meter) behind the camera crew and waited for them to stop filming before he followed Kerrigan through the curtain. /tristate/2021/07/23/caught-in-a-lie-nest-seekers-50m-amagansett-listing-sold-for-16-5m Why? That man was Shane Stant. "Despite my mistakes and rough edges," she says, "I have done nothing to violate the standards of excellence in sportsmanship that are expected in an Olympic athlete." [87] On June 30, chairman William Hybl stated, The panel decided that pertinent FBI reports, court documents, and Harding's March 16 plea agreement presented, Harding chose neither to attend nor participate in the two-day hearing. Advertisement. That set in motion the events that led to his arrest. I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me." On January 1, 1994, she had a late-night skating session from 11:30 p.m to 1 a.m., and Gillooly asked Eckardt to meet them at the rink. 1940) and Albert Harding (1933-2009). Championships. [23] On October 2, at approximately 3 a.m., neighbours of the couple called the police when they heard them arguing outside and a single gunshot. Weaver said the decision disappointed her but was not a surprise, and that she had not decided on an appeal. Sep. 4, 2014. Gillooly said he could pay $6,500 for this plan and wanted to know what they could do. Kerrigan had been practicing skating on an ice rink in the arena shortly beforehand. [94], The event is referenced in the songs "Strange Clouds" by B.o.B featuring Lil Wayne, "Tonya Harding" by Sufjan Stevens, and TONYA by Brockhampton.[95][96]. "[21], Harding later claimed she was the victim of acquaintance rape sometime during her separation from Gillooly in 1991, "by a friend of mine, who I knew for eight years. The scandal received so much national attention that Eckardt was interviewed by Diane Sawyer before being released from prison. [38], He arrived at 11 a.m. to the meeting held at Eckardt's home office, knocking on the door with Stant letting him in. "I'm just a simple buyer," he said. [16] The attack severely bruised her knee and quadriceps tendon and forced her to withdraw from the U.S. He then told her, "I think we should go for it." A juge in Portland, Oregon refused. And you get a peek," says Hauser, 31. Stant said he became a Christian and turned his life around. Jan. 14, 1994: Stant surrenders to the FBI in Phoenix, Ariz., and is charged with conspiring to assault Kerrigan. As you can tell, each relationship featured I, Tonya, is fraught with built-up animosity. Her friend Don Horn says, "She's always wanted a baby. The attack was planned by Jeff Gillooly, the ex-husband of fellow American figure skater Tonya Harding, and his co-conspirator Shawn Eckardt. May 2006: A writer and composer collaborate to craft "Tonya & Nancy: The Opera," and it makes its debut at Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Mass. [49] He had met Eckardt when they were students at Mt. Griffith was Harding's bodyguard when she competed for a spot on the United States Olympic figure skating team in 1994. Oct. 1997: Harding's pickup is apparently stolen from the Vancouver Mall parking lot. Feb. 1996: Harding tells police she was abducted at knifepoint in Oregon by a bushy-haired man who was never caught. Shane Stant was one of the most notorious figures in the 1990s because he was nabbed for being the actual attacker of Nancy Kerrigan. Also, Eckardt includes with his resume a letter of recommendation from Blackstone Corp. and uses as a reference a Mr. W. J. Walther, the company's purported Oregon-based representative. [38] Smith wanted to know if Eckardt was still interested in moving to Phoenix to help set up an anti-terrorist training camp as they had previously discussed. The latter was released four months early, in September 1995, and he went on to open up a computer business in 2001, according to The New York Times. Multnomah County authorities arrest Eckardt and Smith, charging them with conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. The events of the 1994 Winter Olympics which led to Tonya Harding's infamy introduced a colorful cast of characters to the world. [30] Marano then called a USFSA contact to find the name of the rink and left a message on Harding and Gillooly's answering machine. [90], The attack and the scandal surrounding it were depicted in the 2017 film I, Tonya, with Margot Robbie portraying Harding, Ricky Russert portraying Stant, and Caitlin Carver portraying Kerrigan. It was later revealed that Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, were the masterminds who hired Stant to render Kerrigan incapable of competing at the 1994 Olympics. Why? Eckardt and Harding's . "[53], Shane Stant first testified about the attack plot after he turned himself in to the FBI on January 14, 1994. . He received his own credit card from an evening mail delivery the next day. [30] Stant and his girlfriend also moved to Arizona along with Smith after once serving 15 days in jail for stealing cars. Eckardt set up a meeting with Derrick Smith and Shane . Figure Skating Championship, Harding tells the press, "Let me tell you, I'm going to go there and kick some butt.". [48] According to him, she then said "You need to stop screwing around with this and get it done. Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics, and Harding was later banned for life from USFSA figure skating events. But . Shane Stant was one of the most notorious figures in the 1990s because he was nabbed for being the actual attacker of Nancy Kerrigan. Speaking on ABCs Truth and Lies: The Tonya Harding Story, the shamed athlete said she heard a conversation between her husband and Eckardt who she described as dumb as a post.. On December 31, Stant drove to Yarmouth, Massachusetts, reaching the Tony Kent Arena that afternoon. Gillooly replied that it was too much and said he could pay $2,000. Eckardt then offered more money than Gillooly stated and said more bodyguard work would follow. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Gillooly said he paid Eckardt while Harding was in another room having coffee with Eckardt's mother. I, Tonya movie quotes help tell the story of disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding including her rough upbringing and what led to her eventual lifetime ban from the sport. Harding ultimately. The attack benefited Harding as it allowed her to win the U.S. Championships with ease and could have benefited her if it had taken Kerrigan out of the Olympics. Eckardt did not know where exactly Stant was and told Gillooly that Smith needed more money. GettyUS figure skaters Tonya Harding (L) and Nancy Kerrigan avoid each other during a training session 17 February in Hamar, Norway, during the Winter Olympics. Harding spoke about the moment she realised the American people were going to find out the truth behind the attack. pictured with Harding, plays the disgraced skater in critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya, Trailer for new ice skating blockbuster, I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie, Tonya Harding FINALLY admits she knew about sensational plot to break ice skating arch rival Nancy Kerrigans leg before 1994 Olympics, Shocking photo shows bedsheet where girl died weighing 23st - as mum JOKED about flies in squalid room, Man, 43, died after being held down by security guards at Sainsbury's, Man rushed to hospital with stab wounds after 'incident' at Hackney Central railway station as cops rush to scene, The pair would later hire Shane Stant, who assaulted US skater Nancy Kerrigan with a baton, The extraordinary story is the subject of a critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). It was 12.55am, Saturday 27 July 1996. Ten days later, Harding's lawyer asked the restraining order to be lifted because the couple again wished to reconcile. In an interview with The Oregonian, Stone said he'd changed and was remorseful for the attack on Kerrigan. That morning, Jeff met with Shawn Eckardt, Derrick Smith and Shane Stant in Eckardt's home. [38][40] He also testified that Harding told him she wanted Kerrigan injured either at her home or skating rink. Accounts of Stants personal rehabilitation can be read in letters of recommendation he filed with a court in Oregon when he tried to have his conviction in the Kerrigan assault expunged. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? The interview with Diane Sawyer from 1994 is as weird as you'd expect, with Sawyer explaining to viewers that, "Eckhardt has a rsum that makes him out to be a cross between James Bond and. [30] The officer then interviewed Harding and Gillooly separately about what had happened, but their stories did not match. When asked about her finances, Harding said she had one bank account which was currently $109 overdrawn. They drove to Eckardt's home that night with the photos, practice times, and $2,700 in cash. [30] He then worked in Milwaukie, Oregon as a group home coordinator for Developmental Systems Inc., a company that employed and trained mentally retarded adults to sort laundry hangers. .". According to authorities, Eckardt--who served as Harding's personal bodyguard--hatched a plot to attack Kerrigan. "He can talk the talk. Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, Harding, still under investigation by Oregon authorities, finishes eighth, Harding pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. [50] Smith later worked for the United States Army as an "intelligence analyst" for about 3 years until he was discharged. But to the attorney representing Gillooly, Eckardt is a man who "led a fantasy life," and performed only one job as a bodyguard to Harding. When Kerrigan hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994 after the Winter Olympics in which the figure skater ended up winning the silver medal Chris Farley and Rob Schneider parodied Eckardt and Gillooly, respectively. [30][38] Eckardt introduced Gillooly to Derrick Smith, using only his first name, Stant was introduced as Smith's "friend." Before the Olympics, a man emerged from the shadows and struck her in the knee, leading to Kerrigans famous and plaintive cry: Why? As the Bleacher Report explains, Stants uncle, Derrick Smith, called Stant, who was 22 at the time, in 1993 and asked if Stant would hurt somebody for money. Stant told the FBI that Smith asked him if he would take down a skater. The Bleacher Report added, A man named Shawn Eckardt called and said it would involve slicing the skaters Achilles tendon. The attack took place just days before the tournament, and rendered Kerrigan unable to take part. Few skaters and promoters would work with her, and she did not benefit from the ensuing boom in professional skating after the scandal. Brian Sean Griffith, a former bodyguard to figure skater Tonya Harding who admitted a role in the attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan during Olympics tryouts, has died. The attack was intended to prevent Kerrigan from taking part in the ongoing 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships and the forthcoming Winter Olympics, thus increasing the prospects of Harding in both figure skating events. Email us attips@the-sun.co.ukor call 0207 782 4368 . Ads by BeenVerified. Harding said she protested that she wanted to win fairly, and asked them what they were talking about. [38], On December 29, 1993, Stant agreed to execute the plot and took a flight to Boston, yet discovered he could not rent a car with his girlfriend's credit card. When asked whether Gillooly had ever threatened her, Harding said he had not. Jan. 27, 1994: Harding meets the press and reads a statement admitting she failed to report things she knew about the assault on Kerrigan. He was the man who allegedly taped the conversation in which the plan to attack Kerrigan was hatched. Harding continues to deny her involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. TV Shows. Figure Skating Championships in Orlando, Fla. Harding loses her sweaty, sloppy match by split decision. "But the Shawn I know is someone, who, following his activities, immediately began to lay awake at night crying.". [83][84][85][73] It stated there was evidence Harding fraudulently used USFSA-provided skating monies to finance the assault. Harding continues training for the Olympics. Gillooly stood in her view behind the camera during the interview. She then angrily asked him why "this thing" (the plot) was not completed. Eckardt hid the tape recorder on his desk under a paper towel. [75][76] Judge Donald Londer noted the attack could have injured Kerrigan more seriously. June 30, 1994: Harding is stripped of her 1994 national figure skating title and banned for life from the U.S. Stant said he would not cut anyone. "Unfortunately, he tried to turn fantasy into fact by masterminding this stupid attack," Ron Hoevet said. Simpson led police on the most-watched car chase in history. Here's a timeline of the saga, compiled from reporting by The Oregonian staff and wire services: February 1991: Tough, athletic Tonya Harding lands the daring triple axel during the U.S. Menu. She and her lawyer, Robert Weaver, negotiated a plea agreement ensuring no further prosecution. The lettersfrom his mom, his sister, a former Navy SEAL/Army chaplain and a lawyer who is a former military prosecutorglow with praise for how Stant has turned his life around, Bleacher Report notes, adding that, in 2013, Stant had not given an interview for 20 years, choosing a life of obscurity after the scandal. Jan 19, 1994: Gillooly turns himself in after an arrest warrant is issued. March 21, 1994: A Multnomah County grand jury indicts Eckardt, Smith and Stant on charges including racketeering and conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. July 13, 1994: Gillooly is sentenced to two years in jail and fined $100,000 for racketeering. A jaw-dropping confession found in the archives of early-90s TV newsmagazine Hot Take, featuring Tonya Harding's infamous "bodyguard" Shawn Eckhardt.Learn mo. The penultimate episode of the animated comedy Futurama, "Stench and Stenchibility", features a devilish six-year-old girl named Tonya (voiced by Tara Strong; a reference to Harding), who is the opponent of Bender Rodriguez (John DiMaggio) in a tap dancing competition held by Randy Munchnik. In the Attack on Olympic Skater", "Gillooly Pleads Guilty, Says Harding Approved Plot", "Harding's ex-husband says she helped to plan attack Attorney: 'What Did Tonya Know And When? In 1994, "Forrest Gump" broke box-office records. College lecturer. The popularity rank for the name Shana was 3820 in the US in 2020, the Social Security Administration's data shows . "[60][61] Harding and Gillooly's separate lawyers confirmed the couple were in daily contact and cooperation with law enforcement. She's a redneck, but she's my redneck. It also dredged up a cast of characters far removed from the world of skating. Harding told him that Eckardt should return the money. Smith told Gillooly he could solve "problems," and Gillooly said he wanted Kerrigan out of the National Championships so Harding could win an Olympic gold medal. In a July affidavit, Harding wrote that she had been in an abusive marriage for two years, "he has assaulted me physically with his open hand and fist [] put me down to the floor on several occasions.