10 Famous WWE Love Stories That Didn’t Survive The Wrestling Business
9. Goldust & Marlena
Together in real-life for years by the time their partnership became a fixture on WWE television, Dustin and Terri Runnels had been married for three years when Marlena joined Goldust at 1996's Royal Rumble.
Added to his act to 'soften' the predatory homosexual overtones that blurred the lines between the gimmick's original androgyny and carny homophobic leanings, Marlena's mysterious performance style acutely augmented an already-complex character.
Their chemistry, obviously, was electric, and convinced creative heads to lean into their real life with an ill-fated 1997 babyface turn. Literally wiping away the visage, an unpainted Dustin 'revealed' himself as the son of Dusty Rhodes, husband of Terri and father of Dakota in an angle designed to sell him as an everyman. It instead simply diluted a once-dynamic duo.
Ripped part by rotten writing, the pair never came together again on screen after Dustin dumped her to kick off his 'Artist Formerly Known As...' heel turn. A brief feud around her dalliances with Val Venis in 1998 went nowhere, and a real-life divorce in 1999 lined up with his disastrous move to WCW.
Nearly 20 years on and they remain on good enough terms that Terri volunteered to don the golden gown to accompany Goldust in a Raw 25 skit. Regrettably, her request was evidently ignored.