Disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding is unrecognizable as she joins social media site X
Harding is best known for her involvement in the biggest scandal in U.S. figure skating history
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Don’t worry, Tonya, we remember you.
Former Olympian Tonya Harding, best known for her involvement in the biggest scandal in U.S. figure skating history, has resurfaced in the public eye, posting a video on her brand-new X account.
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Disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding is unrecognizable as she joins social media site X Back to video
“Hi everyone! I’ve finally figured out how to make an account on here!!” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m very excited to reconnect with you all (if anyone remembers me)”
Finally, she signed the post “With love, Tonya.”
In the video posted, Harding looks a far cry from her figure-skating days of the 1990s. In a selfie-style clip that is shot in a wooded area, the 54 year old appears to be without makeup with her long blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail while sporting a plain dark blue zip-up sweater.
“Hey everyone! I am Tonya Harding and I’m on X!” she joyfully said in the clip announcing her arrival on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Oh my God, I’m so excited!”
She goes on to wish her followers a happy new year, while adding, “Join me there and let’s chat it up. Love you! God bless!”
She concludes the video by blowing a kiss to the camera and giving an enthusiastic “Bye!”
Harding is a difficult figure to forget in U.S. Olympic history after her infamous scandal involving rival Nancy Kerrigan.
In Jan. 1994, Harding and Kerrigan were getting ready to compete for a spot on the Olympic team, but the day before the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships, a hitman entered the women’s locker room and struck Kerrigan in the leg.
Jeff Gillooly, Harding’s partner at the time, hired the hitman and it has long been believed that she was part of the plan.
Users on X were quick to joke about Harding joining the site.
“Just here for the knee-jerk reactions,” one user replied.
“Break a leg, Tonya!” was a common sentiment from other users.
“Man, what happened to you. It’s like a club to the knee seeing you again,” another user wrote.
Harding also made several public appearances in then wake of the 2017 film I, Tonya, in which Margot Robbie was nominated for an Oscar while portraying the controversial figure skater.
In terms of irony, the timing of Harding’s reemergence actually couldn’t have been worse.
Hours after her initial post on X, a plane reportedly carrying “several members” of the United States Figure Skating team as well as some Russian skaters was involved in a tragic accident when it collided with a military helicopter on approach to Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Harding posted about the accident, calling it “devastating.”
“The events that took place last night in Washington, DC are absolutely devastating,” she posted on Thursday morning.
“I’m being told that several professional figure skaters were aboard the flight as well. Sending my love and prayers to all the victims and their families.”
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