Prior to Monday’s premiere of “Dancing with the Stars” Season 24, former figure skater and “DWTS” champion Kristi Yamaguchi took to Twitter to wish fellow former figure skater Nancy Kerrigan good luck — in the worst way possible.
Videos by Rare
Hours before Kerrigan took the stage, Yamaguchi tweeted, “So excited for you @NancyAKerrigan ! Can’t wait to see you grace that ballroom floor, break a leg!”
So excited for you @NancyAKerrigan ! Can't wait to see you grace that ballroom floor, break a leg! 💃🏻#DWTS
— Kristi Yamaguchi (@kristiyamaguchi) March 20, 2017
Yes, that’s right. She told Kerrigan, victim of the famous 1994 attack in which she was assaulted with a police-style baton to the knee, to “break a leg.” Just before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit that year, a man, who had been paid by Kerrigan’s rival Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, struck her on the right knee, injuring her leg. While it ultimately wasn’t broken, Kerrigan’s did suffer cuts, bruises and swelling and walked with a limp.
Of course, Yamaguchi was just employing a common (if ill-fitting for this situation) phrase, but that didn’t stop the internet from freaking out over it.
that wording though… pic.twitter.com/XisJ9CNqXc
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) March 22, 2017
— New Year, New Nickname (@JasonPStarling) March 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/kyliesparks/status/844630024128933888
— John Asante (@jkbasante) March 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/czechov/status/844600018808045568
https://twitter.com/cullend/status/844638308114194432
.@kristiyamaguchi @NancyAKerrigan pic.twitter.com/GSafbyLOjR
— Luis (@oskrNYC) March 22, 2017
As of yet, Yamaguchi has not clarified her comment.