Nancy Kerrigan Wed Her Agent Not Long After Her Tonya Harding Scandal
Just 18 months after the Tonya Harding scandal, Nancy Kerrigan married her agent, Jerry Solomon. However, their happy news wasn't without controversy.
It probably goes without saying that the early-to-mid-90s were a tumultuous time for Kerrigan. From rising in the world of skating to enduring a devastating assault before the 1994 Olympics and ultimately achieving a triumphant silver medal victory, it was a rollercoaster of triumphs and tragedies for the athlete. However, Kerrigan's skating career wasn't the only part of her ups and downs. She was also criticized for some of her not-so-sportsmanly commentary that was — unfortunately — caught on camera.
First, there was the Olympic prize-giving, which saw the animated silver medalist complain that the winner, Oksana Baiul, was stalling the process by having her makeup done. "She's gonna get out here and cry again. What's the difference?" she quipped. Then, there was the Disney World parade, where news reports pointed out that — on top of not wanting to be interviewed — she complained to a Mickey Mouse mascot that wearing her medal for the crowds was "the most corny thing [she's] ever done." At the time, the agency representing Kerrigan pointed out that many reports were a willful "misinterpretation." However, that wouldn't be the last time she'd come under fire in the media during that period.
A little over a year later, Solomon himself would come to Kerrigan's defense. This time, however, the controversy was over their relationship.
They were accused of (and denied) having an affair
It was during the 1994 Winter Olympics that Nancy Kerrigan and Jerry Solomon's relationship went from professional to something more. Speaking to Sports Illustrated in December of that year, Kerrigan explained that the Tonya Harding scandal had played a role in her getting closer to her now-husband. "The whole time, after Detroit, everything had been talk about me. I was so sick of talking about me. I started asking about him," she recounted. Soon enough, they were spending all their time together, and their relationship blossomed.
However, there was one issue. Solomon, though separated, was still a married man — something the press were quick to jump at. Per Sports Illustrated, The National Enquirer vilified Kerrigan as the other woman. Solomon wasn't willing to take that lying down, though. Speaking to The Washington Post, he revealed that he was considering legal action, complaining, "It's been tough for all of us to read inaccuracies and innuendo reported as fact." He added that even comments by his soon-to-be-ex-wife had been skewed and shared that she'd confirmed that The National Enquirer had lied about her supposed quotes.
That said, even the chatter couldn't put a dampener on their relationship. In March 1995, The New York Times reported that the couple was engaged, and by September, they were officially husband and wife.
... and almost 30 years later, they're still a team
Close to three decades since they said their "I Do's," Nancy Kerrigan and Jerry Solomon are still together, and despite going through some serious challenges over the years, it looks like the lovebirds are in it for the long haul.
Back in 2017, Kerrigan revealed that — despite having their first baby just over a year after their wedding — she miscarried a heartbreaking six times before welcoming two more children a few years later. Speaking to "Good Morning America," she hinted that the situation had impacted her relationship with Solomon, explaining, "It's so hard on your marriage."
However, the couple pushed through — and they've remained a team throughout everything they've endured together. From the miscarriages to the tragic death of Kerrigan's father and the subsequent investigation into her brother, these two have stuck by each other's sides. And, perhaps unsurprising given how their relationship began, Solomon makes no secret of his annoyance that his wife will forever be associated with the Tonya Harding scandal. "Nancy is an athlete who went to two Olympics and earned two medals, a very rare accomplishment in skating. Instead of being remembered for that, she is remembered for this bizarre incident," he told Mail Online in 2013.
Kerrigan has certainly faced some very high highs and heartbreakingly low lows, but she's had her perfect match by her side through it all.