WWE Releases Jeff Hardy After He Turned Down Rehab

Fightful.com's Sean Ross Sapp is reporting that WWE released popular superstar Jeff Hardy on Thursday.

Hardy, 44, reportedly was given the option to go to rehab by the company but declined. A leaked video from a WWE house show event in Texas on Saturday night shows Hardy featured alongside Drew McIntyre and Xavier Woods in a three-on-three match against Roman Reigns and The Usos, Jimmy and Jey.

In the match, Hardy tags in McIntyre before rolling out of the ring and disappearing into the crowd.

Hardy immediately became a top trend on social media after the footage went viral, with fans concerned for his well-being. Hardy, a former three-time World Champion in WWE, has a documented history of substance abuse.

It was the main reason for his firing from WWE on April 22, 2003. After a brief stint in TNA, Hardy made his return to WWE on the Aug. 21, 2006 episode of Monday Night Raw confronting then WWE Champion Edge. Hardy left WWE on his own terms in 2009, looking to recover from injuries.

He showed back up in TNA in 2010 and became a major player in the company before substance abuse issues popped up again. On March 14, 2011, at the Victory Road PPV, Hardy was slated to challenge Sting for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. When Hardy's music hit and he entered the ring, he visibly looked in no state of mind to compete.

Before the match started, TNA executive producer Eric Bischoff came to the ring to "stall", telling the referee to let Sting win quickly. Sting pinned Hardy in 90 seconds, much to his surprise.

On July 13, 2019, now back in WWE, Hardy was arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for public intoxication. Later that year on Oct. 3, he was arrested and charged in Moore County, North Carolina for driving while impaired.

While specifics of Hardy's departure are unknown, brother Matt Hardy, now in AEW, told Wrestling News.co on Monday that Jeff was doing alright.

"I did speak to Jeff for a little bit today and he’s OK, he’s good,” Matt Hardy said. “I think he’ll be fine but once again, this isn’t my business and if he wants to go into it in more detail then he’ll do it himself. Jeff is OK. He is at home and he is OK.

"It’s not my business. It’s not my story to tell or explain and besides that, I wouldn’t be able to do it justice anyway because it’s not from my perspective so I love my brother and I just want my brother to be okay and healthy.”

WWE Champion Big E and United States Champion Damian Priest both took to Twitter to share their support for Hardy.

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