Tonya Harding Net Worth: From First American Triple Axel to the Nancy Kerrigan Scandal—How Much Has She Earned?
Tonya Harding had once been the face of American figure skating. She won multiple awards throughout her successful, albeit short-lived, career, including the U.S. Figure Skating Championship titles in 1991 and 1994 and a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships.
However, her professional life took a dramatic turn when her now ex-husband Jeff Gillooly orchestrated an attack on Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding’s staking rival.
Tonya later admitted to having known about the planned attack and pleaded guilty during prosecution, a decision that would ultimately cost her her skating career.
This article will discuss Tonya Harding’s net worth, early life, and rise and fall as a figure skater.
What Is Tonya Harding’s Net Worth?
Tonya Harding is a former professional boxer and figure skater. Harding’s net worth is unknown, but sources state it’s around $5 million. Before the movie adaptation of her life, “I, Tonya,” her net worth is believed to be between $150,000 and $300,000.
Much of Harding’s wealth comes from royalties from the biopic “I, Tonya,” which featured stars like Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, and Sebastian Stan. The movie was a commercial success, grossing over $53 million at the box office.
Aside from movie royalties, Harding also makes a sizable living through reality TV appearances and motivational speaking.
Harding’s estimated motivational speaking fee is around $20,000 to $30,000 per session. This translates to an annual income of between $200,000 to $300,000 from motivational speaking alone.
Harding also authored a memoir titled “The Real Tonya Harding: My Story” in 2023. The book performed decently well upon its release, selling over 100,000 copies within its first month.
As for TV appearances, the most notable was her participation in the ABC reality show “Dancing With the Stars.” Harding finished the competition in sixth place, earning her an estimated winning of $275,000.
Who Is Tonya Harding?
Tonya Harding’s career was equally extraordinary and tragic.
Born on November 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon, Harding’s career was decided when she was only a young girl. LaVona Golden’s mother enrolled her in ice skating lessons when she was only three.
Harding spent much of her time staking, so much that she had to drop out of high school to focus on the sport.
Her efforts were not in vain, though, because she quickly became one of the most talented figure skaters of her time, placing first in the 1989 Skate America competition and the 1991 U.S. Ladies’ Figure Skating Championship and second in the 1991 World Championships.
She’s also become the first American woman to land a triple Axel successfully.
The Nancy Kerrigan Incident
Harding was unstoppable, and her career was showing great promise. However, it all became a dramatic downfall when a scandal involving a rival skater—Nancy Kerrigan—shattered her Olympic dream.
On January 6, 1994, a day before the U.S. Ladies’ Figure Skating Championship, a man named Shane Stant attacked Nancy Kerrigan during a practice session. He struck her knees several times, severely bruising them. The injury forced Kerrigan to withdraw from the championship.
It turned out that Shane Stant was hired by Tonya Harding’s now ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly. He planned the attack to sabotage Nancy Kerrigan’s chances of competing in the upcoming competition.
Tonya Harding was allowed to compete at the 1994 Olympics because she claimed not to know her husband’s plans. But after returning to the US with a gold medal, Harding admitted that she did know of the attack but did nothing to stop it.
Tonya Harding was sentenced to three years in probation, a $100,000 fine, and 500 hours of community service. Perhaps worse, she was banned from the United States Figure Skating Association. She was only 24 at the time.
Tonya Harding tried a hand in women’s boxing from 2002 to 2004 but ultimately had to give up the sport because of her asthma.
Who Were Tonya Harding’s Husbands, and How Many Times Was She Married?
Tonya Harding was married three times:
Jeff Gillooly (1990-1993): In 1986, 15-year-old Tonya began dating 17-year-old Jeff Gillooly, and they married on March 18, 1990. Though they divorced in August 1993, Jeff continued to manage Tonya’s skating career, and they reconciled in October, living together until January 1994.
Michael Smith (1995-1996): Harding married Michael Smith in 1995, but their marriage lasted only a year.
Joseph Price (2010-present): Tonya wed Joseph Price on June 23, 2010. The couple welcomed a son, Gordon, on February 19, 2011.
In addition to her marriages, Tonya Harding had several notable events in her life:
– In 1996, she helped save the life of 81-year-old Alice Olson by performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when Olson collapsed at a Portland bar.
– In 2000, Harding was arrested after attacking her boyfriend, Darren Silver. She was sentenced to three days in prison, a suspended sentence of 167, and 10 days of community service.
Final Thoughts
As of 2024, Tonya Harding’s net worth is believed to be around $5 million. Her net worth is primarily thanks to the commercial success of the biopic “I, Tonya,” which garnered significant royalties. She also makes a sizable income on book deals, TV show appearances, and as a motivational speaker.
