WWE legend Jeff Hardy is set to appear in front of a judge after being arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI).
Hardy, who rose to fame in WWE with his brother Matt as they performed as The Hardy Boyz, was arrested shortly after midnight on Sunday (12 June) in Volusia County, Florida.
The DUI arrest marked the third for Hardy, who has previously spent time in rehab and has been candid about struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
According to the Volusia County Corrections website, the charges against Hardy are alleged third drug or alcohol-related DUI offense within 10 years, driving with a suspended, canceled or revoked license, and violation of restrictions placed on a driver’s license.
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A police report cited by The Wrestling Observer said Hardy seemed 'to be in a stupor and confused' and 'smelled of alcohol'. The 44-year-old is also said to have not been able to 'complete any portion of sobriety exercises successfully or without risk of falling'.
Hardy’s first breath test samples proved to be far above Florida's legal driving limit of 0.08, with his first reading 0.294, according to the report, while a second read 0.291.
The wrestling star had his bond set as $3,500, including $500 for each license charge and $2,500 for the DUI. He is said to have paid the fee to be released yesterday (13 June) ahead of a scheduled court appearance today, however Wrestling Inc. reports his appearance is currently listed as 'cancelled'.
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Hardy, who is currently contracted with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), was scheduled to take part in an episode of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, however a promotional tweet released shortly after Hardy's arrest made no mention of his tag team match.
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer has claimed adverts for Hardy's match were put to a stop in the wake of his arrest, writing: "While AEW has not said anything publicly [Warner Bros. Discovery] was told to stop all promotion of Jeff Hardy in any commercials or anywhere else immediately.
"They have stopped promoting the three-way ladder match for Wednesday and not sure if they will have a tag team title match with just the two teams or not," he added.
Hardy openly said he needed 'help' during an interview with WWE’s After The Bell podcast in 2020, saying: "I need treatment. There’s something wrong with me with this alcohol thing... Now, being in rehab, I’ve learned a lot about the disease known as alcoholism and addiction."
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If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
Emily Brown