Wrestling legend Lex Luger recently appeared on Insight With Chris Van Vliet to discuss a wide range of topics, including the tragic passing of Miss Elizabeth in 2003.
Miss Elizabeth, widely known for her time as Randy Savage’s iconic manager, passed away due to an accidental overdose of painkillers and alcohol in the home she shared with Luger at the time. Although her death was ruled accidental, Luger’s past domestic disputes with her have led some fans to unfairly place blame on him, despite the official findings.
During the interview, Luger addressed these lingering perceptions and reflected on that period of his life.
Whether he could have come to WWE later on and the passing of Miss Elizabeth: “After that, everything happened. I got messed up on the wine and women. I had too much time and money on my hands. Got messed up on drugs and alcohol, and had a period where I was a complete train wreck. The tragic passing of Elizabeth. Obviously people go, ‘Well, he killed Elizabeth.’ Well, I didn’t kill her. But was I a contributing factor to the lifestyle I was living and her being around me all the time and she overdosed? Absolutely.”
Whether he takes responsibility for what happened to her: “Absolutely, sure, there’s always collateral damage to lifestyles like that, and she was part of it. So absolutely. Sadly.”
Whether that was rock bottom for him: “You’d think it was, but that led me to more depression where I felt completely unlovable. I was never going to be able to be a part of wrestling again after that happened. Instead of, I hate to admit it, who I was back then. Instead of being so grieving over the loss of Liz, I was grieving over what this would do to me and my career, almost more so. I hate to admit it. Back then when I was done in wrestling and my fitness nutrition quest after wrestling, I was going to be a big fitness nutrition guy to have my own nutrition company and exercise. Well, no one’s going to want that for me now. So I went into massive depression, darkness, did more drugs, more alcohol. It wasn’t until at that point where I dug such a deep, dark hole, I always thought I could somehow work or be smart enough to get out of it. I knew I was at the bottom of a pond with no light, and there was no way to the top, and I was drowning in darkness. And that’s when I turned to God. I knew there’s no way I get out of this. So God, if you’re really real, you have to get me out of this, because I’m done.”
Fans still holding Elizabeth’s death against him: “No doubt, and I totally understand, I do, yeah. I get it. She was a beloved character, Liz, and I’ll always be tied as part of what happened with her. And I get that I have haters out there. I understand where they’re coming from. I get it.”
