Former skater Tonya Harding's net worth and her life after the "scandal"

Former skater Tonya Harding's net worth and her life after the "scandal"

Tonya Harding is a former American figure skater, boxer, and reality TV personality with an alleged net worth of $150,000 as of 2025. She was once a celebrated skater, but her alleged involvement in the Nancy Kerrigan attack resulted in a lifetime ban from figure skating. Explore Tonya Harding's net worth, including her career milestones and the career-ending scandal.

Tonya Harding in a white top (L) and with bangs
Tonya Harding attends ABC's "Dancing With The Stars: Athletes" Season 26 (L) and poses as the cast visits Planet Hollywood Times Square (R). Photo: Allen Berezovsky, Bruce Glikas (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

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Key takeaways

  • Tonya Harding gained global recognition for winning the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and was a two-time Olympian.
  • Tonya Harding was the first American woman to execute a triple Axel in an international competition successfully.
  • Tonya’s ex-husband hired an assailant intending to incapacitate Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya's competitor, ahead of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
  • Harding pleaded guilty to conspiring to hinder the prosecution, resulting in a lifetime ban from skating.

Tonya Harding's profile summary

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Full nameTonya Maxene Harding
GenderFemale
Date of birth12 November 1970
Age54 years old (as of 2025)
Zodiac signScorpio
Place of birthPortland, Oregon, United States of America
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityCaucasian
ReligionChristianity
Education Milwaukie High School
Hair colourBlonde
Eye colourBlue
Height in feet and inches5'1"
Height in centimetres155
Weight in pounds130
Weight in kilograms59
FatherAlbert Harding
MotherLaVona Golden
Sexual orientationStraight
Marital statusMarried
HusbandJoseph Jens Price
Children1 (Gordon Price)
Net worth$150,000

What is Tonya Harding's net worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth and The Richest, Tonya Harding's estimated net worth is $150,000 as of 2025. She has accumulated wealth through her career in skating, boxing, book deals, royalties, and media appearances as illustrated below:

Tonya Harding’s skating career and rise to fame

Tonya Harding made her skating debut in the late 1980s. She finished sixth in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1986 and then in the top five the next two years.

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Facts about Tonya Harding
Top-5 fast facts about Tonya Harding. Photo: David Livingston on Getty Images (modified by author)
Source: Original

This piqued the interest of coach Dody Teachman in 1989, who trained her and helped her win the 1989 Nationals Championship and the 1989 Skate America competition. The American athlete won the U.S. championships in 1991 and 1994 and the World Silver Medal in 1991.

Notably, she was the first American woman and the second woman in history to successfully perform a triple Axel in an international competition, a feat that set her apart in the sport. Harding is also a two-time Olympian.

Tonya's boxing career: From the rink to the ring

Following her exit from figure skating, Harding started boxing. In 2002, she appeared on Fox's Celebrity Boxing and defeated Paula Jones.

Harding's first professional boxing match was in February 2003, when she lost against Samantha Browning. She later competed in a celebrity boxing match on Comedy Central's The Man Show and beat one of the show's co-hosts, comedian Doug Stanhope.

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Tonya Harding (L) trades punches with Samantha Browning (R)
Former figure skater turned boxer Tonya Harding (L) trades punches with Samantha Browning (R) in the fourth round of their bantamweight fight in 2003 at the Pyramid Arena, TN . Photo: Jeffrey Haynes
Source: Getty Images

Harding's first professional boxing match was in February 2003, when she lost against Samantha Browning. She later competed in a celebrity boxing match on Comedy Central's The Man Show and beat one of the show's co-hosts, comedian Doug Stanhope.

The athlete's last match happened in June 2004, when she lost to Amy Johnson. Her boxing career ended due to an asthma condition.

Tonya's post-skating work and new ventures

After the scandal, Tonya made ends meet by giving paid interviews. She received $600,000 for a 1994 appearance on Inside Edition. However, by 1998, the fee had dropped to $60,000.

Tonya later ventured into other occupations. She was a painter, welder, and hardware sales clerk at a metal fabrication company. In 2017, she mentioned working as a deck builder and painter.

Harding has also participated in reality television. In 2018, she competed in season 26 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing third. In 2019, she won the 16th season of Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition.

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Nancy Kerrigan attack: The scandal that changed everything

In January 1994, an attack on Nancy Kerrigan, Harding's major competitor, shook the figure skating world. The attack, executed by Shane Stant, who was hired by Tonya’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, was intended to incapacitate Kerrigan ahead of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Tonya Harding (L) and dancer/TV personality Sasha Farber
Figure skater Tonya Harding (L) and dancer/TV personality Sasha Farber pose at ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: Athletes" Season 26 - Finale in Los Angeles, California. Photo: David Livingston
Source: Getty Images

Although Harding denied any direct involvement, she pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct the prosecution. Consequently, she was sentenced to three years probation, a $160,000 fine, and 500 hours of community service.

On 30 June 1994, the U.S. Figure Skating Association issued her a lifetime ban from the sport, effectively ending her competitive skating career. Possible sponsorships and endorsement deals subsequently faded away. The once famous skateboarder was also stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championships title.

Was the I, Tonya movie inspired by Tonya Harding's story?

After her skating career and scandal, Tonya Harding's life became the focus of numerous books, films, documentaries, and academic research.

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The first television documentary on her life and skating career was released in 2014: Nancy & Tonya and The Price of Gold. This documentary inspired Steven Rogers to write and produce the 2017 film I, Tonya. Margot Robbie portrayed Harding in the movie.

Skater Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding attends the Premiere Of Neon And 30 West’s I, Tonya" at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. Photo: Rich Fury
Source: Getty Images

Despite the movie performing well, grossing $53 million on an $11 million budget, Tonya was reportedly compensated a mere $1,500 to license her rights to the production company. The film transformed the narrative around Tonya, portraying her more as a victim rather than the villain she was once seen as.

FAQs

  1. Who is Tonya Harding? She is a former American figure skater, boxer, and reality TV personality.
  2. How old is Tonya? The athlete is 54 years old as of March 2025. She was born on 12 November 1970 in Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
  3. What is Tonya Harding's net worth? As of 2025, her estimated net worth is $150,000.
  4. How much did Tonya Harding get for her movie? The reality TV star only netted an initial $1,500 plus a percentage of the film profits for her life rights.
  5. Did Tonya Harding ever apologize? In a 2018 interview, Nancy Kerrigan told ABC News that she had never received a "direct" apology from Harding.
  6. Is Tonya Harding married? Harding married Joseph Jens Price in 2010 and welcomed a son, Gordon, in 2011.

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Tonya Harding's net worth shows how a bad public image can affect someone's wealth. Despite the challenges and controversies, she has navigated diverse career paths, persistently striving to reshape her legacy beyond the pivotal events of 1994.

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Authors:
Racheal Murimi avatar

Racheal Murimi (Lifestyle writer) Racheal Murimi is a content creator who joined Yen in 2022. She has over three years of experience in creating content. Racheal graduated from Dedan Kimathi University of Technology with a bachelor's degree in BCom, Finance. She has amassed sufficient knowledge working on various topics, including biographies, fashion and lifestyles, guides, and more. In 2023, Racheal finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her at wambuimurimi254@gmail.com

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