An in-depth update on Jeff Hardy’s state of health following the DUI arrest last summer has been provided by Matt Hardy.
As PWMania.com previously reported, Jeff’s 2022 DUI case is now closed after he entered a nolo contendere plea in Volusia County, FL on Thursday. Hardy’s license was suspended for ten years, he received credit for 38 days in jail, two years of probation, $4,586 in fines and court fees, a 90-day impoundment of his car, two years of an interlock device on his car, community service, and a court-mandated DUI school or drug rehab program. Click here for more information on the case and the sentence, and click here for Matt’s initial post-court statement on his brother’s future.
On the latest episode of his “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” podcast with co-host Jon Alba, Matt discussed Jeff’s status and future.
“The first thing Jeff did whenever he got the opportunity, he traveled to Florida and stayed 90 days and did an extensive rehabilitation stint,” Matt revealed. “Really intense work on himself. Even after those 90 days, he was doing outpatient, where he was going every week. He probably did 170 days altogether when it was said and done, on treatment on himself, being there and trying to rehabilitate himself and get to the bottom of this, ‘why do you have issues? What causes this? How can we correct and change this?’ It’s one of those things, my brother, obviously, he’s had so many addiction problems through the years, but he’s never been this specific and in detail to try and work through it so much, really commit himself to this.”
Matt mentioned that Jeff went to rehab for 30 days while working for WWE in April 2021, but this was during the same time their father was dying, making it difficult for Jeff to focus solely on rehab. He stated that Jeff has now had time to process their father’s death and find closure, allowing him to focus on himself, getting better, and the rehabilitation process.
“The reason I say it’ll be different this time is because he went into it with a different mentality and he’s never been this scared before,” Matt said. “There was a lot of talk where they wanted him to go to prison for months and do this. They ended up working this deal where it was 30 days. One of the biggest things you’re going to see with Jeff Hardy going forward is how he wants to share his story and help other people out. That’s something he’s been very adamant about already. He’s been so motivated.”
Matt also revealed that Jeff was a part of an intervention for a close friend who was struggling with alcohol and had liver problems as a result of the drinking. The intervention occurred just over a month ago. Matt stated several times that Jeff wishes to give back and assist others who are struggling with addiction. He mentioned how alcohol is the worst addiction because it is so prominent. Matt stated that this is the most noticeable difference in his brother.
“This last time, alcohol was harder than anything else for him to kick,” Matt said. “There was a time when he first came to AEW where he would go weeks without doing anything, but once he would get that little… get a little started, it would quickly turn to an avalanche, and that’s just how he is and how his personality is. I think he understands that now more. The fact that he had so much on the line, and legitimately, this could have cost him a large chunk of his life. He was trying to do the work in treatment, he had legal people trying to help him out as much as they could. At the end of the day, he’s not someone who has done violent, bad things that come from a terrible place. He’s someone who had an addiction problem. I hate it. There is no way to justify someone being intoxicated, getting behind the wheel, and driving. It can’t be justified. In this day and age, it should never happen. The help that he went and got during this time, I’ve seen a different version of him, and it’s not one trying to play the game. Don’t take my word for it here. Follow him going forward and we’ll see what happens. Could I be wrong? Of course I could, but this is the most drastically different I’ve seen my brother.”
Matt also stated that Jeff’s driving while intoxicated could not be justified, and that he did not condone Jeff’s actions. He also stated that Jeff has gone to great lengths to reflect on the situation and is fully committed.
Matt went into great detail about how trauma may have influenced Jeff’s decisions over the years, with the death of their mother as a major issue. Matt stated that they made a promise to their mother to avoid drugs and alcohol, which they kept throughout their school years.
Matt stated that a possible in-ring return for Jeff has not been discussed.
“That hasn’t been talked about. Will it happen? Maybe. Maybe not. That isn’t something that hasn’t been talked about at all at this point and it certainly wasn’t going to be like, his court case is done, he shows back up on AEW Dynamite,” Matt said.
It was also discussed how Jeff’s in-ring work and risk-taking style may have contributed to his addiction, with Matt suggesting that Jeff change his style to ensure his longevity. Matt was asked if he would discuss changing his in-ring style with Jeff.
“Yes. I already have,” Matt responded. “I’ve had it with him throughout the years. Whenever I wanted him to become Brother Nero at the beginning, I was having that conversation with him then. That’s why I said he could no longer jump off the top rope. ‘You’re Jeff Hardy, you’re a rockstar, people want to see Jeff Hardy. I know you feel so committed and passionate and you want to give them a whisper in the wind and Swanton every single night. You can do those things when the time is right. Pick and choose. Be smart. You’re not just Jeff Hardy the wrestler anymore, you’re Jeff Hardy the father, the husband, the family man. You have to think about that.’”
It was repeatedly stated throughout the podcast that Matt was not attempting to rehabilitate Jeff or speak for him, but that Jeff isn’t the type of person who will speak about things for 45 minutes in a social media video, so he was doing his best to provide as much insight into his brother from his perspective as he could.
As of this writing, Jeff had made no public comments about his case or his future. Furthermore, there is no word on whether Jeff will return to AEW in the near future, but after announcing Jeff’s suspension in June 2022, AEW President Tony Khan later stated that the suspension would remain in effect until Jeff underwent treatment and was able to maintain sobriety.
You can check out the complete podcast via AdFreeShows.com.
(H/T to Fightful for the transcription)
