Danica Patrick hosted the 2018 ESPY Awards Wednesday night, and she included a parody of I, Tonya, co-starring her boyfriend, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
If you enjoyed “I, Tonya,” you’ll love “Me, Danica” featuring @danicapatrick and @AaronRodgers12. pic.twitter.com/lVkKjbCWep
— ESPN (@espn) July 19, 2018
The three-minute sketch was built like a trailer for Me, Danica, with Patrick replacing both Tonya Harding and Harding’s mother, LaVona Golden. Rodgers played a variation of Harding’s husband, Jeff Gillooly. IndyCar driver Hélio Castroneves also made a cameo, replacing Nancy Kerrigan.
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In I, Tonya, Margot Robbie gave an Oscar-nominated performance as Harding, and Sebastian Stan played Gillooly. Allison Janney won an Oscar for playing Golden. Paul Walter Hauser, who gave a scene-stealing performance as Gillooly’s incompetent friend Shawn Echkardt, reprised his role in the Me, Danica trailer.
The trailer also makes references to Patrick’s famous sponsorship with GoDaddy.com.
The sketch was met with mixed responses from fans.
“The cring [sic] is strong with this one,” one viewer wrote.
The cring is strong with this one…. pic.twitter.com/g4BX2M8LdW
— DarknessMyOldFriend★ (@SpaceManMonster) July 19, 2018
“You should be brought to court for this,” another one wrote.
You should be brought to court for this
— NFLisDead (@NfDead) July 19, 2018
“That was.. not interesting,” added another.
That was.. not interesting. pic.twitter.com/tHjI9rYHUt
— SophiaIsabellaTheIII (@SophiaAffiniIII) July 19, 2018
On Thursday, Patrick shared a photo of the couple on Instagram, thanking her friends, family and fans for their support.
“Last night was a night I will never forget. Not only because it was so fun, but because of the people it took to get there and who are always in my corner. Haley, Allison, mom, dad, Brooke, Chase, Maura, Jeff, Bennett, and all the writers, Valdez, Jimmy….. and of course this one,” Patrick wrote. “It’s amazing when you find people you can lean on, and not worry about falling. Thank you.”
The ESPYs also saw Patrick and Rodgers make their red carpet debut. The two met at the ESPYs in 2012, but reunited after Rogers broke up with Olivia Munn and Patrick ended her long-term relationship with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
In January, Patrick confirmed the new relationship after photos of the two on dates surfaced.
“I told him a long time ago I’d always root for him as a player,” Patrick told the Associated Press. “Now I am probably going to cheer for the whole team… Take out the word ‘probably.’ Now I’m going to cheer for the whole team.”
Patrick also announced her retirement from professional racing last fall. Her final race was the Indianapolis 500 in May. Unfortunately for Patrick, her race ended early during a crash in lap 68.
Rodgers and Patrick spent the weekend before the ESPYs in Tahoe, where Rodgers took part in a celebrity golf tournament.
“Magical, magical. That place is so wonderful,” Patrick said in an interview with Extra. “It’s like mountains meets the beach. Such beautiful weather and it was paddleboarding every day and watching golf.”
Photo Credit: ESPN
