WWE: Inside Jeff Hardy’s Messy Legal History

WWE wrestler and one half of the Hardy Boyz, Jeff Hardy, was arrested last week for driving while impaired. This incident took place in Moore County, North Carolina, and was the latest in a line of incidents involving the longtime professional wrestler.

When news of this arrest came to light, there were immediate cries for WWE to step in and convince Hardy to go to rehab. So far, this has not happened, but many fans have a hope that Hardy will make strides in his personal life and will avoid a tragic incident.

The reason for their considerable concern is that Hardy has made headlines multiple times in the past for incidents involving legal and illegal substances. He has been arrested for driving while impaired, barred from flying out of Nashville, and charged with drug trafficking.

This incident in North Carolina did not result in any injuries, but that fact did not change the tone of messages on social media. Some WWE fans want Hardy out of wrestling while others simply want him to get the help he needs.

In his life, Hardy has had many run-ins with law enforcement, but which was the most worrisome for his family? Let’s go through Hardy’s history of legal problems.

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With the news of Jeff Hardy’s arrest, many wrestling fans became frustrated. This was not an isolated incident considering that one half of the Hardy Boyz has been in trouble with the law throughout his career, often for similar issues. 

At this point, WWE fans want Hardy to get some help. Being arrested is one thing, but there is a far more dire outcome that could become possible with repeated instances of driving under the influence. 

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In 2003, Jeff Hardy saw his time with WWE come to an end. He was given an ultimatum in which he either had to go to rehab or lose his job. According to former backstage official Bruce Prichard, the wrestler knew that he had a drug problem but didn’t want to go to rehab. 

Ultimately, WWE cut ties with Hardy, putting the Hardy Boyz on the shelf. Although he did make an eventual return in 2006 after three years away. 

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In 2008, Jeff Hardy was involved in an incident at the Nashville International Airport. At the time, there were rumors that he had been arrested for carrying drugs, but the professional wrestler shed some light on the incident during an interview. 

“So many wrestlers drink at times and I had been drinking a lot that night,” Hardy said in 2008. “I’m not going to lie. I’ve been on planes a lot drunker than that. There was nothing rude done; I wasn’t violent or anything like that.

“I guess I was stumbling boarding the plane or something and somebody must have just said that I was drunk because I was asleep on the plane. This is Southwest, you know, open seating and everything.

The first thing I remember is just waking up and security — it wasn’t police, it was security — saying, ‘Mr. Hardy, you have to get off the plane. We feel you’ve had too much to drink.’ Matt [Hardy] got up and was like, ‘What’s the problem?’ They were like, ‘He’s had too much to drink.’ I go, ‘I was asleep. I’ll wake up in Raleigh. I’ve been like this before.’ But I just cooperated and left the plane.”

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In September 2009, Hardy was arrested on three separate charges of drug trafficking. During a search of his house, officials found 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.

According to Bleacher Report, Hardy couldn’t technically be charged with drug trafficking due to him being in possession of the substances that were delivered with his mail. After two years of delays, Hardy accepted a plea deal in which he had to plead guilty on three charges. 

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The arrest in North Carolina from Thursday has been dominating the conversation recently, but this is not the only situation involving alcohol and vehicles for which Hardy is known. He was also arrested in March 2018 for driving while impaired. 

According to the report, Hardy was arrested shortly after 10 p.m. on March 10 but was released an hour later. His bond was set at zero dollars. 

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In July 2019, Jeff Hardy had another run-in with the law, this time in South Carolina. The wrestler was in Myrtle Beach and was arrested for public intoxication. Little details were known at the time beyond that he was later released on less than $200 bond. 

TMZ did later obtain a police report that provided some details about the arrest. Hardy was reportedly found passed out in a stairwell. He admitted to drinking vodka and was arrested on misdemeanor charges.