Sonja Henie Athlete, actress Date of Birth: 08.04.1912 Country: Norway

1. Biography of Sonja Henie
2. Early Life and Career
3. Innovations and Hollywood Career
4. Controversies and Later Life

Biography of Sonja Henie

Norwegian figure skater, Hollywood ballet star on ice, Henie starred in 15 Hollywood films, including "Sun Valley Serenade." Due to her association with Adolf Hitler and other Nazis, Sonja remained a subject of controversy both before and after World War II. Henie is the first and only three-time Olympic champion in women's singles figure skating. She holds the record for the most gold Olympic medals, alongside Gillis Grafström and Irina Rodnina. Henie won the World Championships ten times and the European Championships six times.

Early Life and Career

Sonja Henie was born in Kristiania, now Oslo, Norway, on April 8, 1912. She was the daughter of Selma, a housewife, and Wilhelm Henie, a former cycling champion who became her coach and manager. Both her parents were wealthy heirs. Encouraged by her parents, Sonja tried various sports disciplines in her early childhood and initially excelled in skiing. She also practiced swimming and tennis but soon began serious training as a figure skater, following in the footsteps of her brother Leif. Wilhelm was determined to make his daughter a celebrity and hired the best coaches in the world, including ballerina Tamara Karsavina. Sonja participated in her first adult National Championship in Norway at the age of 10. A year later, in 1924, she finished eighth at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. Henie won her first World Championship title in 1927. The following year, at the age of 15 years and 316 days, she won her first Olympic gold medal.

Innovations and Hollywood Career

During her career, Sonja Henie traveled to various parts of the world and collaborated with different foreign coaches. Henie is considered the first to use short skirts in figure skating costumes. She was also the first to incorporate choreography into her performances. Sonja retired from amateur sports after the 1936 World Championships and became a Hollywood ballet star on ice. In 1936, Wilhelm Henie organized an ice ballet for his daughter, which caught the attention of American producer Darryl F. Zanuck from Fox Studios. She signed a contract for a substantial amount of money for that time. Sonja first gained serious attention from the audience with the release of the musical film "One in a Million". Alongside her participation in the "Hollywood Ice Revue" tour, Henie earned two million dollars annually at the height of her popularity.

In 1950, "Sonja Henie Ice Revue" started, lasting for three seasons. It was her own project that failed and led the actress to financial problems. In 1953, Henie made a deal with Morris Chalfen to appear in a new successful ice show. In January 1956, Sonja took matters into her own hands again, but her project turned out to be a disaster. She started drinking heavily and made the decision to end her career.

Controversies and Later Life

Sonja Henie became the subject of discussion due to her relationships with Hitler and other high-ranking Nazis. She performed at amateur events in Germany and agreed to personal meetings with the Führer. Being a wealthy figure, Henie associated with high society and saw nothing objectionable in her interactions with Hitler and other heads of state or royalty.

The Norwegian press strongly criticized Sonja when she greeted Hitler with a Nazi salute at an exhibition in Berlin. After that incident, Henie did not salute Hitler at the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but she did attend a private lunch with him, during which Hitler presented her with a signed photograph and a dedication. During the German invasion of Norway, German soldiers visited Sonja's family home in Landøya, Asker, where they noticed a prominent place for a piano with a photograph of Hitler on it. This "little detail" helped Henie preserve all of her properties in Norway from confiscation or destruction.

In 1941, Sonja obtained American citizenship. She avoided supporting Norwegian resistance movements but, like many Hollywood stars, supported the US military efforts. Although criticized by many Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans, Henie wanted to restore her reputation in the eyes of her fellow countrymen after the war. Returning to Norway with her show "Holiday on Ice" in 1953 and 1955 proved to be enough to regain the adoration of her homeland.

Sonja was married three times. Her first husband was baseball player Dan Topping, whom she was married to from 1940 to 1946. Her second husband was Winthrop Gardiner Jr., whom she was married to from 1949 to 1956. In her third marriage, Sonja married Niels Onstad, a wealthy Norwegian shipowner and patron of the arts. They married in 1956 when Henie was already retired. The couple decided to settle in Oslo and owned a large collection of modern art, which became the foundation for the Henie-Onstad Art Center.

According to the book "Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows" by Sonja's brother Leif and Raymond Strait, Sonja was obsessed with sex and money, had a terrible temper, and used her family members without remorse to advance her own interests. At least one question arises from Sonja's will, in which she excluded all members of her family.

In the mid-1960s, Sonja Henie was diagnosed with leukemia. She passed away on October 12, 1969, during a flight from Paris to Oslo.

Sonja Henie is recognized as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time.