[38], Gillooly testified that by January 1994, he and Harding were upset that the plot had apparently failed. Simpson's girlfriend." This inspires Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckhardt (his friend, her "bodyguard") to plan their own attack. [38] On December 25, Gillooly had an answering machine message from Smith asking for more details about the plan. Ten days later, Harding's lawyer asked the restraining order to be lifted because the couple again wished to reconcile. [13] Derrick Smith, an associate of Eckardt, was paid $6,500 to carry out the attack; Eckardt had received the money from Gillooly. When asked whether Gillooly had ever threatened her, Harding said he had not. But it is Eckardt who looms as a pivotal figure in the investigation. The incident ended in apologies and no criminal charges were filed. 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. [16] The attack severely bruised her knee and quadriceps tendon and forced her to withdraw from the U.S. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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). Shawn Eckhardt in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He remembered Gillooly saying he would pay more money if the plot happened. 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. [30], When he phoned Eckardt on December 22, 1993, Eckardt told Smith he had a client who needed someone physically "taken down," saying the job would entail more bodyguard work in the future. "[22] In summer 1991, she became engaged to mechanical engineer Mike Pliska. #OnThisDay in 1994 US figure skater @NancyAKerrigan was clubbed on the back of her knee with a police baton by #ShaneStant It was later reported her assailant was hired by the exhusband of @thetonyaharding #JeffGillooly + coconspirator #ShawnEckardt at @cobocenter in Detroit. And I don't know of any major newspaper that wouldn't have wanted the first interview with (Harding "hit man"') Shawn Eckardt or O.J. [38], On December 28, he and Stant were in Portland to discuss the attack plan. PORTLAND Brian Sean Griffith, the former bodyguard to Tonya Harding, has died. 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.. "It makes you . Here, Kerrigan exclaimed the now-famous line, "Why? Feb. 12, 1994: Harding drops her lawsuit, and the Olympic committee decides to cancel its hearing. [44] Eckardt claimed he had a contract to disable a female figure skater issued by her rival's husband, that it involved good money because one of the rival's sponsors was George Steinbrenner. DISGRACED figure skater Tonya Skater has finally admitted that she knew about the plot to break the leg of her Olympic rival in 1994. He claimed that he then phoned Eckardt to cancel the deal. He ended their engagement after he saw Harding disrespecting people and giving her phone number to another man. Feb. 22, 2003: After months of training, Harding makes her pro boxing debut, fighting Samantha Browning, a Mississippi housecleaner whose only previous fights had been the barroom variety. [38][30] It was true that Steinbrenner had recently given Harding a $10,000 donation through the USFSA. In 1993, Eckardt was enrolled in a paralegal course at Pioneer Pacific College and trying to build a business called World Bodyguard Services. "But the Shawn I know is someone, who, following his activities, immediately began to lay awake at night crying.". Claire Ferguson, president of the USFSA, decided not to suspend Harding's membership before a hearing took place. 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. [38], On December 28, as the men were waiting for Gillooly to arrive at his office, Smith persuaded Eckardt to tape record the meeting to use as "leverage." Hoevet added that Eckardt was paid $3,500 by the Harding camp to provide security as the skater arrived at Portland International Airport, and accompany her on a planned trip to last week's pre-Olympic skating exhibition in Fairfax, Va. She said: I did, however, overhear them talking about stuff where, well, maybe we should take somebody out to make sure she gets on the team., "I go what the hell are you talking about?, The skater, from Portland, Oregan, calls herself a pawn who paid the ultimate price., She said: I'm always the bad person. Today: She reportedly lives in Central Oregon with her husband and son. /tristate/2021/07/23/caught-in-a-lie-nest-seekers-50m-amagansett-listing-sold-for-16-5m Tonya Harding's bodyguard Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser) made international headlines when he sat down with Diane Sawyer. In 2010, the former skater also set a new land speed record for a vintage gas coupe with a speed of 97.177 mph, driving a 1931 Ford Model A. For those unfamiliar with the story, a brief recapping, pardon the pun. 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. I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me." (Chris Farley filled Eckardt's tracksuit in an SNL bit in 1994.) 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. [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. Jan. 18, 1994: Harding separates from Gillooly after meeting with investigators for more than 10 hours. I, Punching Bag. The media allowed him to air his version of events: that of an innocent caught in Harding and Gillooly's nefarious web. Menu. They drove to Eckardt's home that night with the photos, practice times, and $2,700 in cash. Shane Stant, Smith's nephew, initially planned to carry out the attack by himself and had travelled to Kerrigan's home rink in Cape Cod in late December 1993, but was unable to locate her. [19] In 1988, the couple moved into a home together, and Harding claimed she began experiencing physical abuse from Gillooly. [78], On March 16, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution as a Class C felony offense at a Multnomah County court hearing. Eckardt replied that Smith was already driving to Portland and that he needed more information about Kerrigan a photograph and the location of the ice rink where she practiced. . [41] Gillooly said he would phone her after the meeting, and Harding then drove to Gillooly's mother's house. Feb. 1999: Harding says the way has been cleared for her return to skating, but United States Figure Skating Association officials say her status has not changed. Figure Skating Association. [29] A police officer stopped the truck and confiscated a found shotgun and a 9mm Beretta pistol that had recently been discharged. "[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. Griffith died . And there is no listing of a Blackstone Corp. in Switzerland. Shane Stant was one of the most notorious figures in the 1990s because he was nabbed for being the actual attacker of Nancy Kerrigan. The shamed US figure skater has confessed that she overheard her husband Jeff Gillooly and bodyguard Shawn Eckardt talking about carrying out an attack on one of her competitors. Gillooly said he paid Eckardt while Harding was in another room having coffee with Eckardt's mother. When Harding returned, she testified that she and Gillooly went to Eckardt's home on December 28, 1993; he went inside, she drove away. Schatz asked Harding whether someone she knew could have planned the attack. He then told her, "I think we should go for it." According to him, Eckardt wanted to keep the idea of injuring Kerrigan a secret from Harding, but Gillooly explained that injuring a competitor might psychologically affect Harding's performance too. 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. Eckardt said Harding then skated up to him and commiserated about his ongoing back pain. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Shawn Eckardt. "[73][74] Gillooly and Eckardt pleaded guilty to racketeering, while Stant and Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. On December 31, Stant drove to Yarmouth, Massachusetts, reaching the Tony Kent Arena that afternoon. They also found two photos of Kerrigan from the World Team handbook and Olympian magazine. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Email us attips@the-sun.co.ukor call 0207 782 4368 . And it was Eckardt's apparent remorse for the assault that led him to play a tape of the conversation for a local minister. The first deputy on the scene observed Harding holding a baseball bat after breaking the motorist's eyeglasses. Meanwhile, Harding has steadfastly denied knowing anything about the . She said she worked as a freelance writer and had written some figure skating articles about Harding, regularly trading phone calls with her. [18], Harding met Jeff Gillooly in 1986 when she was skating at the Clackamas Town Center; she was 15, he was 17. The man was later found to have been hired by Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and his friend, Shawn Eckardt. Near the center of the story is Eckardt, a man who portrays himself a security expert. But did he plot the Jan. 6 assault at the national championships in Detroit on his own? "Eckardt is a very intelligent idiot," said Jerry Spires, a private investigator who was one of Eckardt's instructors at Pioneer Pacific College in nearby Wilsonville. The scandal received so much national attention that Eckardt was interviewed by Diane Sawyer before being released from prison. Feb. 1997: During a two-minute performance preceding a Reno Renegades hockey game, Harding is subjected to booing, catcalls, and thrown batons. Harding hired Eckardt as her bodyguard because his resume indicated he was an expert in counterin-telligence and international terrorism, graduated from an She gave birth to her only child, a son named Gordon, on February 19, 2011. As Rogers wrote in the LA Times, Gillooly and Harding had different ideas about how everything went down. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith had changed his name since the attack. Anyone who has seen the raucous biopic "I, Tonya" knows that one of the film's highlights is Shawn Eckhardt, Jeff Gillooly's aloof best friend and "bodyguard" to Tonya Harding . .". Former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding is opening up up about her relationship with her mother, her notorious past and her reaction to the new film about her life, I, Tonya, in a interview with. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. [10], Nancy Kerrigan is an American former figure skater who, in January 1994, was about to take part in the United States Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan. In 2005, Stant asked a judge to clear his felony record so he could try to become a Navy Seal. The attack took place just days before the tournament, and rendered Kerrigan unable to take part. He said the boot camp made him realize his greed and manipulative nature were at the root of his crime. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Jan. 26-27, 1994: Gillooly confesses to the FBI, implicating himself, Harding, Eckardt, Smith and Stant. News cameras captured Kerrigan wailing in pain after the attack. Hi, I'm Shawn Eckardt and I'm born and raised in Montauk New York. Why? That man was Shane Stant. Certified parachutist. Stant said it was "a pleasure" to meet Gillooly, then remained silent. "I know Eric. In an interview today on a Portland television station, KATU, another fellow student, 20-year-old Sarah Bergman, said Eckardt had told her of a plot to get Kerrigan. Olympic television ratings soar. Jan. 9, 1994: Detroit police release composite drawings of man suspected of attacking Kerrigan. He was enrolled in the program for three years before being booted out in 1992. But circulating through Portland under Gillooly's letterhead is an undated letter of recommendation for Eckardt. He was interested in bodybuilding, martial arts, and helping Smith open his training camp someday. Not bad for someone who would have been 16 years old at the time of his hiring. Harding spoke about the moment she realised the American people were going to find out the truth behind the attack. March 16, 1994: In Portland, Harding pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. "[21][24], On March 10, 1992, Harding had a roadside physical altercation with a female motorist in Portland, Oregon. A grand jury continues to hear testimony. In 1994, "Forrest Gump" broke box-office records. After the meeting, Gillooly left, returning that night to pay Eckardt in cash. The now 47-year-old says she overheard her then-husband Jeff. Executive security consultant. I, Tonya is an American biographical film directed by Craig Gillespie. 1940) and Albert Harding (1933-2009). Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (TV Movie 1994) Dan Schneider as Shawn Eckhardt. Harding said that Gillooly phoned her one hour later asking her to pick him up. 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. [29] In November 1993, the couple were evicted from their apartment for failing to pay rent. The USFSA has no dominion over professional skating events, yet Harding was also persona non grata on the pro circuit. Powered by. He was 40. The whole thing created such a stir that it became a national sensation, and Eckardt was a key figure throughout the whole investation. According to him, she knew about the meeting and was anxious about Gillooly talking to dangerous people. In an interview with The Oregonian, Stone said he'd changed and was remorseful for the attack on Kerrigan. Did Jeff really hit Tonya? He had known Gillooly since they were in the first grade at school. The story that emerged after her rival, figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, was assaulted at the U.S. Her friend Don Horn says, "She's always wanted a baby. According to The New York Times, Gillooly was sentence to a two-year term, while Eckardt had an 18-month sentencing. The extraordinary story is the subject of a critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya which stars Wolf of Wall Street actress Margot Robbie as Harding. "[30], When Derrick Smith was first interviewed by FBI on January 12, 1994, he held to the cover story that had been agreed upon with his co-conspirators until later in the day when he confessed to his part in the plot. Check social media profiles, resumes and CV, places of employment, photos and videos, news, public records, publications, skilled experts and arrest records . Few skaters and promoters would work with her, and she did not benefit from the ensuing boom in professional skating after the scandal. They're a warm-up act for the night's main event, pitting Mike Tyson against Clifford Etienne at The Pyramid arena in Memphis, Tenn.a"Tyson wins with a powerhouse punch, knocking out Etienne in 49 seconds. Eckardt had dropped out of high school and was currently enrolled in a paralegal course at Pioneer Pacific Collegethat is, when he wasn't running the grandly titled World Bodyguard Services from. [82], On March 21, 1994, a Portland grand jury issued an indictment stating there was evidence Harding participated in the attack plot. "I'm just a simple buyer," he said. [30], On January 11, Ann Schatz interviewed Harding for KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon. The new Hollywood movie on the ice skating caper, the Fargo-esque and well-received I, Tonya is changing that. [12] Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. Check places of employment, resumes and CV, photos and videos, public records, social media profiles, work history, skilled experts, arrest records and publications . [30][38] Eckardt introduced Gillooly to Derrick Smith, using only his first name, Stant was introduced as Smith's "friend." April 30, 1994: The NBC docudrama "Tonya and Nancy: The Inside Story" debuts to lukewarm ratings. Figure Skating Championship, Harding tells the press, "Let me tell you, I'm going to go there and kick some butt.". Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics, and Harding was later banned for life from USFSA figure skating events. [20] They married on March 18, 1990. Oct. 7, 1994: The Tonya Harding Fan Club, which grew to nearly 2,000 members during this Olympic year, begins disbanding. [38][40] He also testified that Harding told him she wanted Kerrigan injured either at her home or skating rink. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Feb. 2, 1994: Harding falls during practice. His grandmother, Mae Loomis, is cited for menacing after taking a few potshots at a KGW reporter who had gone to her Corbett home for an interview. Smith and Stant plead guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault and are led away in handcuffs to begin their 18-month prison sentences. The New York Times, which announced his death, called him Brian Sean Griffith, which Eckardt changed his name to after getting out of prison. Harding speaks to the media after "Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera" in 2008. As the new movie I, Tonya depicts, he and Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, became suspects for the crime, and they both pleaded guilty to racketeering in their attempts to harm Kerrigan. O.J. The case of Shawn Eckardt, Harding's unofficial bodyguard: During the investigation of the Kerrigan attack in '94, it was revealed that Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, conspired with. Barack Obama referenced the attack while giving a speech in 2007 in Iowa during his run in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, stating "Folks said there's no way Obama has a chance unless he goes and kneecaps the person ahead of us, does a Tonya Harding. [63] On January 16, Harding's lawyer held a news conference in which he read a statement denying Harding's involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. But both reportedly have been implicated by confessions made by Eckardt and Shane Stant, the alleged hit man.
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