The film I, Tonya, depicts the physically and verbally abusive home life of notorious Olympic skater Tonya Harding. Harding is best known for the scandal that took place in 1994 in which her husband, Jeff, carried out a plot to maim Nancy Kerrigan, her skating rival, prior to the winter Olympics that year. There is a scene in the film in which the teenaged Harding sits at the dining room table eating breakfast with her mother. She has a black eye, given to her by Jeff, her boyfriend at the time.
Harding’s mother tells her that her makeup doesn’t cover the abuse and remarks in an off-handed way, “You’re a dumb piece of s*** who thinks she deserves to get hit.”
Harding continues to eat and responds under her breath, “How’d I get that idea?”
“Maybe he should hit you,” her mother responds, calmly and unemotionally. “Maybe you’d learn to keep your big mouth shut. Sure helps me out.”
Read more on my HealthyPlace bi-weekly blog here: Cold Verbal Abuse and Calculated Betrayal
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