Jeff Hardy was arrested in Florida early Monday morning, leaving his future with AEW very much in doubt.
Court records from the Volusia County Inmate log confirm that Hardy was booked at 12:45 a.m. on June 13 and charged with three offenses:
- Violating restrictions placed on a drivers license
- Driving with a license that is canceled, suspended or revoked
- DUI – third offense within 10 years
According to Marc Raimondi of ESPN, the third charge is a third-degree felony, while the other two are misdemeanors.
AEW star Jeff Hardy was arrested Monday in Florida on three charges, the most significant a DUI, his third offense in the last 10 years, per online court records. That is a third-degree felony. Hardy is currently in custody on $3,500 bond.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) June 13, 2022
It’s unfortunately not the first time that Hardy has stumbled during his battle against substance dependence. His history of legal trouble dates back to 2009, when he was arrested for and pled guilty to charges of trafficking prescription drugs and possession of anabolic steroids. Hardy was fined $100,000 and served a short jail sentence at the time.
More troublesome has been his more recent arrests for public intoxication and DUI, most recently in the fall of 2019. Whether Hardy has been able to get the help he needs has been a question for some time, and this arrest makes it clear it’s still an open one.
It would not be a surprise if Hardy’s career is also hanging in the balance. At age 44 and known for wrestling a high-flying, daredevil style, he’s certainly closer to the end than the beginning. While AEW has given him a chance to reunite with brother Matt and get one more, perhaps final, high profile push, a release could mean the end for him with the large U.S. wrestling companies.
The Hardys were scheduled to take part in a three-way tag team title match against Jurassic Express and the Young Bucks this Wednesday night in St. Louis, but whether that remains on the card as advertised remains to be seen. The overwhelming sentiment from the wrestling community in the wake of this news is hope that Hardy seeks and receives the help he needs before something tragic happens to him or someone else.