The Untold Truth About Tonya Harding’s Ex-Husband, Jeff Gillooly
• Jeff Gillooly was born in 1968 in the USA and is known for his role in planning an assault on Tonya Harding's rival Nancy Kerrigan.
• His early life included playing sports and acting in the school's drama club.
• Jeff managed Tonya's career while they were married.
• He was married to Tonya Harding from 1990-1993 and they later reunited until the assault.
• His net worth is estimated at over $50,000 while Tonya's is over $100,000.
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Who is Jeff Gillooly?
Jeff was born in the USA in 1968 – his exact date of birth remains undisclosed, but his zodiac sign is believed to be Aries, and he holds American nationality. Jeff is known for two things: being the former husband of the American retired figure skater Tonya Harding, and for having planned an assault on Tonya’s rival American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.
Early life and education
Jeff was raised in the US by his parents, about whom nothing’s known because he respects their privacy; they were apparently poor, and earned just enough money to put food on the table and pay the bills. Jeff hasn’t spoken of having any siblings, so most people believe him to be an only child.
He was mostly interested in playing baseball while attending a local high school, but was into a couple of other activities too, including playing soccer and acting with the school’s drama club. Upon matriculating in 1986, Jeff found a job to financially support himself and Tonya, and didn’t enroll at college.
Career
Not a lot is known about Jeff’s career, except that he worked in the distribution department at the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, while he has apparently worked numerous jobs since his release from jail in 1996.
Jeff also managed Tonya’s career while she was still active and they were still married.
Assaulting Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan was to compete in the US Figure Skating Championship in January 1994, and her main rival would very likely be Tonya Harding.
Jeff and his accomplice Shawn Eckardt hired the man Stant and his uncle Derrick Smith to assault Nancy on 6 January 1994, so that she would be unable to compete in the championship, making it easy for Nancy to win it – Stant and Derrick were promised $6,500 each. Shane hit Nancy in the leg with a telescopic baton, and although she wasn’t able to compete in the championship, she recovered in time to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics. Jeff was subsequently arrested, and sentenced to spend two years behind bars, while his accomplices were sentenced to less.
Tonya eventually revealed that she knew about the attack, and that she helped cover it up; she competed in the 1994 Olympics, but was then banned for life from competitive figure skating events, and was sentenced to spend three days behind bars, and do 10 hours of community service.
Love life and marriage with Tonya Harding
Jeff was 17 years old when he started dating Tonya, and one of the reasons why he didn’t attend college but instead found work was because he wanted to be able to provide for her – professionalism in her sport was virtually unknown at the time. The two married on 18 March 1990 when Tonya was 19 and Jeff 22, in a private ceremony attended by only the closest of their friends and family members. Jeff paid all the bills and put food on the table, while he had also paid for Tonya’s ice skating lessons and equipment.
Jeff and Tonya divorced on 28 August 1993, but then started seeing each other again, which lasted until 18 January 1994.
Jeff hasn’t spoken of any other women whom he has perhaps been with, while it’s known that Tonya married Michael Smith in 1995, but they divorced in the following year. She married her third husband, Joseph Price on 23 June 2010, and on 19 February 2011, Tonya gave birth to their son Gordon.
Age, height and net worth
Jeff’s age is 53. He has short brown hair and brown eyes, his height is 5ft 8ins (1.75m) and he weighs around 155lbs (70kgs).
As of March 2022, Jeff’s net worth has been estimated at over $50,000, while Tonya’s net worth is reputedly more than $100,000.
Who is his former wife Tonya?
Tonya Maxene Price (nee Harding), was born in Portland, Oregon USA on 12 November 1970 – her zodiac sign is Scorpio, and she holds American nationality. Even though she was once a highly successful ice figure skater, and was the second woman to ever land a triple Axel in competition, Tonya’s today mostly known only for the attack on Nancy Kerrigan.
She was raised in Portland by her father Albert Harding, who passed away in 2009 aged 76, and her mother LaVona Golden who’s today 71 years old. Tonya was three years old when she took on ice skating, while she gradually became interested in drag racing and car mechanics, as she enjoyed learning about these things from her father.
Her parents divorced in 1987, and the same year saw Tonya drop out of Milwaukie High School, wanting to focus solely on ice skating; she passed her GED tests in 1988.
In 1986, Tonya called the police because her half-brother Chris Davison was sexually harassing her, and he spent some time in prison; in 1991, she was raped by an acquaintance.
Tonya’s first notable ice skating performance was when she placed #6 at the 1986 US Figure Skating Championship, while she placed #5 in the following two years, and #3 in 1989.
She won the 1989 Skate America ice skating competition, but performed poorly at the 1990 US Figure Skating Championships because she had caught the flu and had asthma. Tonya won the 1991 US Ladies’ Singles, after seven of nine judges had voted for her; she managed to complete her triple Axel jump at the competition, but has since been unsuccessful in accomplishing it again.
She went on to place #3 at the 1992 US Figure Skating Championship, and #4 at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Nancy won the 1994 US Championship, but was stripped of her title after it was revealed that she was involved in the attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan.
The US Figure Skating Association (USFSA) held their disciplinary panel meeting on 29 June 1994, and they agreed to ban Tonya from ever again competing in USFSA events.
Following all the controversy, Tonya and Jeff sold their sex videotape to the men’s magazine “Penthouse”.
The following years saw Tonya make a guest appearance in numerous talk-shows, in which she talked about everything that had happened, and how her life changed after she had to leave ice skating behind her. She has since worked numerous jobs, including being a welder, painter and hardware sales clerk
