View our online Press Pack. On December 28, Harding finished her practice session at 10:30a.m., then Gillooly drove them to Eckardt's home. The real Shawn Eckardt: CHRIS WILKINS/AFP via Getty Images The two side by side: Frank Masi/30West / courtesy Everett Collection / CHRIS WILKINS/AFP via Getty Images 17. Eckardt, one of three men arrested on second-degree felony charges last week, has confessed his role to authorities. Harding spoke about the moment she realised the American people were going to find out the truth behind the attack. I, Tonya opened theatrically in the United States on December 8, 2017.. But the life beefy bodyguard Shawn Eric Eckardt portrayed in a resume filled with misspellings and apparent misstatements is vastly different from the facts. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Brian Sean Griffith, the former bodyguard to Tonya Harding, has died. ", "Harding's Spot on Olympic Team Is Under Review", "Ice-skater's former husband gives himself up", "Assault knocks Kerrigan out of US championships", "Always Tonya: As Cool as Ice But Troubled", "Harding Confronts Motorist with Bat In Traffic Dispute", "Police in Oregon make arrests in assault on Olympic skater", "Tonya Harding says she 'knew something was up' before infamous 1994 baton attack", "Ex-Spouse Pleads Guilty & Implicates Harding", "A Hard Life Spent Searching for Money & a Gold Medal", "Husband, bodyguard implicated in attack Police 'close' to arrest in Kerrigan case", "FBI investigating Tonya Harding's husband as part of alleged plot to sideline figure skater Nancy Kerrigan", "Sheriff's deputies arrest Tonya Harding's bodyguard & another man", "Rival's bodyguard, one other arrested in assault", "Harding chances called 'grim' New witness says skater knew of plot", "Harding says she's innocent 'Tonya is shocked and angry', "Pieces falling together in Kerrigan attack case", "Harding to Get Olympic Spot but Inquiry Continues", "Harding-Kerrigan 20 Years Later: Remembering the Stunning Attack", "Kerrigan Attacker & Accomplice Sent to Jail", "20 years later: highlights in a timeline", "Harding Admits Guilt in Plea Bargain, Avoids Prison", "Tonya Harding Remains the Public Enigma", "Lawyer for Skater's Ex-Husband Says He Has Tied Her to Attack", "Harding Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Justice. News cameras captured Kerrigan wailing in pain after the attack. 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. Feb. 1997: During a two-minute performance preceding a Reno Renegades hockey game, Harding is subjected to booing, catcalls, and thrown batons. Kerrigan was the American sweetheart who was one of her main competitors on Olympic ice. It also dredged up a cast of characters far removed from the world of skating. "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. Harding replied, "I have definitely thought about it." Before the Olympics, a man emerged from the shadows and struck her in the knee, leading to Kerrigans famous and plaintive cry: Why? 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. When Harding returned, she testified that she and Gillooly went to Eckardt's home on December 28, 1993; he went inside, she drove away. [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. [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. Check social media profiles, resumes and CV, places of employment, photos and videos, news, public records, publications, skilled experts and arrest records . ". Figure Skating Championships. But the life beefy bodyguard Shawn Eric Eckardt portrayed in a resume filled with misspellings and apparent misstatements is vastly different from the facts. Harding will skate in the Olympics. Eckhardt was sentenced to 18 months in prison for racketeering but was released four months early in September. [12] Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. . That morning, Jeff met with Shawn Eckardt, Derrick Smith and Shane Stant in Eckardt's home. He said the boot camp made him realize his greed and manipulative nature were at the root of his crime. [15], On the afternoon of January 6, 1994, Kerrigan was practicing for the U.S. Championships on an ice rink inside Cobo Arena. Gillooly replied that it was too much and said he could pay $2,000. Brian Sean Griffith. When Eckardt arrived, Gillooly agreed to pay more if Kerrigan could still be disabled before the Nationals competition. Shane Stant was one of the most notorious figures in the 1990s because he was nabbed for being the actual attacker of Nancy Kerrigan. Jan. 14, 1994: Stant surrenders to the FBI in Phoenix, Ariz., and is charged with conspiring to assault Kerrigan. [48] According to him, she then said "You need to stop screwing around with this and get it done. 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. Each juicy tidbit made headlines and newscasts. Advertisement. She said she worked as a freelance writer and had written some figure skating articles about Harding, regularly trading phone calls with her. On December 31, Stant drove to Yarmouth, Massachusetts, reaching the Tony Kent Arena that afternoon. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. [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. It really is a miracle, and she really is very happy.". Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith had changed his name since the attack in an attempt to put it behind him. In this Jan. 12, 1992, file photo, Tonya Harding, left, and Nancy Kerrigan appear at the U.S. According to him, she knew about the meeting and was anxious about Gillooly talking to dangerous people. Shawn Eckardt, the 300-pound would-be bodyguard of figure skater Tonya Harding, walked out of prison Friday morning in Salem, Ore., the last of those involved in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan to be . 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. Read more about what happened to Jeff Gillooly after the Kerrigan attack here. [66][67][68], On February 5, 1994, the USFSA disciplinary panel stated there were reasonable grounds to believe Harding had violated the sport's code of ethics. He had known Gillooly since they were in the first grade at school. The 47-year-old, who has now remarried, claims she thought her former spouse Gillooly would kill her many times.. The attacker flees without being identified. Online records show that he still lived in California in 2017. [13] The media allowed him to air his version of events: that of an innocent caught in Harding and Gillooly's nefarious web. There's other things you can do to disable somebody rather than you don't need to kill." Dec. 24, 1994: Harding skates as Mrs. Santa Claus at Clackamas Town Center during her first public skating performance since the Olympics. Harding said she understood that. Jan. 6, 1994: An assailant clubs Nancy Kerrigan, Harding's skating rival, on the right knee with a metal baton as she leaves skating practice in Detroit. On January 6, 1994, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked after practice at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan, in what would become one of the biggest sports scandals in history. Menu. 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. [50][51] Smith then applied for a police officer job and was waiting for his interview to be scheduled before Eckardt told him about possible bodyguard work in Oregon. Jan. 4, 1994: On the way to Detroit for the U.S. [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. The now 47-year-old says she overheard her then-husband Jeff. But the two men have known each other since attending grade school together. Feb. 22, 2008: Don Horn of Portland's Triangle Productions believes he and his crew can improve upon the original and they open a three-week run of "Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera" at the World Trade Center Auditorium. [36] Gillooly said he liked that idea. Figure Skating Association meets to discuss allegations against Harding. 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. I, Tonya is an American biographical film directed by Craig Gillespie. When he told her about their "money-back guarantee," Harding laughed out loud. [41] Gillooly said he would phone her after the meeting, and Harding then drove to Gillooly's mother's house. Feb. 1, 1994: Gillooly pleads guilty to racketeering in exchange for a 24-month sentence. Gillooly said Harding told him to tear off the magazine's mailing label because it had their home address. He was 40. The film, which has a string of award nominations, hits UK screens on February 23. I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me." Today: She reportedly lives in Central Oregon with her husband and son. According to ESPN, Stant had moved to Southern California, where he embarked on a career in marketing. A grand jury continues to hear testimony. Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, Harding, still under investigation by Oregon authorities, finishes eighth, Harding pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. "But he kind of wanted to make more of himself then he was. Tonya Harding's bodyguard Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser) made international headlines when he sat down with Diane Sawyer. 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 . Star Staff. "[21] On June 17, 1991, Harding filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Gillooly said he could pay $6,500 for this plan and wanted to know what they could do. To some degree, his name faded away with more prominent figures. Jan 21, 1994: For the first time in 10 days, Harding returns to the Clackamas Town Center ice rink for practice. Figure Skating Championship had sports, sleaze and more. 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. "Shawn was the kind of guy you saw in high school or at the bus stop who's in his own world. I don't want to lose him. [17] Stant approached Kerrigan from behind, extended a telescopic baton, struck her lower right thigh and walked away. Simpson's girlfriend." Shawn Eckardt, 'I, Tonya' Image via NEON. Eckardt also highlights his training at Executive Security International, an Aspen., Colo.-based correspondence school for bodyguards. "[27] That summer, a man from Harding's gym claimed to The Oregonian that Harding offered to pay him to "take care" of Gillooly, "slap him around a little." They also found two photos of Kerrigan from the World Team handbook and Olympian magazine. "But the Shawn I know is someone, who, following his activities, immediately began to lay awake at night crying.". 1940) and Albert Harding (1933-2009). Claims surface that Gillooly threatened Harding on several occasions during their marriage. The extraordinary story is the subject of a critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya which stars Wolf of Wall Street actress Margot Robbie as Harding. 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. They settled on injuring Kerrigan's right leg. Before Gillooly arrived to the meeting, Smith asked Eckardt to tape-record the impending plotting for security. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Eckardt, 27, a self-styled security expert who was a central figure in the Jan. 6 attack on Kerrigan, struck a deal with prosecutors in May under which he pleaded guilty to a state charge of. 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. 12, 1994: Eckardt confesses to the FBI, implicating Harding, Gillooly, and two of Eckardt's friends, Stant and Derrick B. Smith. Kerrigan's injury forces her to drop out of the competition, which Harding wins. Eckardt was flustered and said he did not know why. Why? For those unfamiliar with the story, a brief recapping, pardon the pun. College lecturer. Feb. 11, 1994: A Clackamas County judge asks attorneys for the USOC and Harding to try to work out a compromise. Olympic television ratings soar. It's been nearly 20 years since Kerrigan was clubbed after practice in Detroit by a member of a bumbling goon squad hired by Harding's ex-husband with the hope of eliminating his former wife's top competition for the U.S. Olympic team. Jan. 10, 1994: Harding returns to Portland escorted by Shawn E. Eckardt, her bodyguard. She's allowed to continue, but the magic is gone. The networks and national press go gaga. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith served 14 months for his role in the 1994 attack on Harding's. He is a 26-year-old, 300-pound. Eckardt plays an important role in the movie I, Tonya, and that's because he played a big part in the investigation that followed Kerrigan's assault. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. All together, it makes for a fascinating look at some of the early '90s' most intriguing people, from Eckardt to Harding herself. When asked about her finances, Harding said she had one bank account which was currently $109 overdrawn. Feb. 25, 1994: Kerrigan wins the Olympic silver medal in Norway while Harding, still under investigation by Oregon authorities, finishes eighth. Stant said it was "a pleasure" to meet Gillooly, then remained silent. The pair would later hire Shane Stant, who assaulted US skater Nancy Kerrigan with a baton - striking her above the knee, five weeks before the Olympics. What happened to Shane Stant, who attacked Nancy Kerrigan during the Tony Harding scandal? [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." "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith had changed his name since the attack. "I have every intention of utilizing his expertise in the future and cannot think of any individual that could surpass Mr. Eckardt's capabilities," Gillooly purportedly wrote. Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics, and Harding was later banned for life from USFSA figure skating events. Jan 19, 1994: Gillooly turns himself in after an arrest warrant is issued. Kerrigan could not compete in the US Championship but recovered in time to compete in the Winter Olympics. [18], Harding met Jeff Gillooly in 1986 when she was skating at the Clackamas Town Center; she was 15, he was 17. Feb. 3, 1994: The trash found in the container reveals notes apparently written by Harding, including the telephone number of Kerrigan's practice arena. He ended their engagement after he saw Harding disrespecting people and giving her phone number to another man. Powered by. Kerrigan was hit on the knee in January 1994 during the US Olympic Trials. [30] She was also asked about her relationship with Gillooly and replied she still considered him her husband. Shawn Eckhardt Clip Brooke Brown 5 subscribers Subscribe 308 Share 44K views 4 years ago A clip from the video Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan video Show more Show more The Tonya Harding and. In 1994, "Forrest Gump" broke box-office records. This inspires Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckhardt (his friend, her "bodyguard") to plan their own attack. The film stars Margot Robbie (who also produced the film), Sebastian Stan, and Julianne Nicholson. [23] In autumn 1991, Harding dated a Canadian banker. Stant returns to Portland to face charges in the attack on Kerrigan. Harding hired Eckardt as her bodyguard because his resume indicated he was an expert in counterin-telligence and international terrorism, graduated from an FBI agent James Russell then asked if she was at Shawn Eckardt's house at any time on January 11, Harding replied that she "definitely" had not been.

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