Tonya Harding arrives at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Tonya Harding arrives at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Oprah Winfrey gave a movement-defining speech.
Natalie Portman threw shade at the all-male directing nominees — while presenting that award — and then Geena Davis did the same for the actors.
Barbra Streisand scoffed at the bleak fact that she remains the only female director to win a Golden Globe — and that was 34 years ago.
Some of the highest-profile actresses brought female activists as their dates. And nearly every soul wore black in support of the Time's Up movement and as a statement against sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
For once, everyone was listening to what the women of Hollywood had to say. And it all went down at — of all places — the Golden Globe Awards.
But there was one female presence on a night of glitz and glamour that didn't quite fit. And viewers were quick to point it out.
Disgraced former figure skater Tonya Harding was invited to attend the event because the film I, Tonya tells the story of her life, with a particular focus on her connection to the 1994 attack which left her rival and Olympic teammate Nancy Kerrigan unable to compete at the national championships.
Harding confessed she was aware of a plot to attack Kerrigan in an explosive new TV documentary Truth and Lies: The Tonya Harding Story, but denied playing any part in planning the brutal assault, plotted by her husband and bodyguard.
But Harding said she "knew something was up" before the incident that nearly ended Kerrigan's career.
"I did ... overhear them talking about stuff where, 'well, maybe we should take somebody out to make sure she gets on the team,'" Harding said, referring to her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and former bodyguard Shawn Eckardt. "I go, 'what the hell are you talking about?'"
But despite being the one whose leg was clubbed by a hitman hired by Harding's ex-husband, it wasn't Kerrigan who was hailed at the Golden Globes.
Sharon Stone described meeting Harding as "amazing" and told her "honey, you're the type of champion they make movies about".
Allison Janney, who plays Harding's mother in the film, saluted her after winning Best Supporting Actress.
This image released by Neon shows Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding in a scene from 'I, Tonya.' Photo / AP.
"Tonya Harding is here tonight," Janney said in her acceptance speech. "I'd like to thank Tonya for sharing her story with (writer) Steven (Rogers), and allowing him to tell all the different sides of the story … tell a story about class in America. Tell a story about the disenfranchised. Tell a story about a woman who was not embraced for her individuality. Tell a story about truth and the perception of truth in the media."
The adulation didn't sit well with some viewers — particularly on a night that will be remembered as the time the #MeToo movement took centrestage.
I can't help but think that in a ceremony that did so well raising awareness about abuse, why would @AllisonBJanney (who is BRILLIANT and I love) pay tribute to #TonyaHarding She was instrumental in the physical abuse of another athlete. #NancyKerrigan is who should be tributed
— Tom D'Angora #BlackLivesMatter (@TomDangora) January 8, 2018
Let’s acknowledge the disgusting irony. Tonight, the #goldenglobes talked about standing up against violence, assault, inequality, etc. BUT Tonya flipping Harding was there and applauded during Allison Janney’s speech?!? I wonder how her VICTIM, Nancy Kerrigan, felt about this.
Can someone who has been the Tonya Harding movie explain to me if there is any justification for this redemptive arc that she's riding now? Because I have pretty clear memories of the woman whose assault she was complicit in arranging crying in pain.
But others were prepared to defend Harding, pointing out she did not carry out the attack on Kerrigan and noting she too had suffered at the hands of abusive men.
Really? I find it ironic that people are pitting Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding against each other when they were both victims to the same men. #GoldenGlobespic.twitter.com/2IvEnyUVHX
7 weeks after being struck in the knee after #NancyKerrigan won silver in #Lillehammer. From there she had six endorsement deals worth $4 million, a 62-city skating tour, and multiple TV specials. #TonyaHarding was banned from skating ever again and was also a victim of abuse
