Right from the off, Dustin Runnels put everything he had into the Goldust character. The androgynous persona was supposed to be strange, and it was definitely unlike anything else in the WWF during the mid-90's. Most of Goldust's early feuds revolved around the idea that he used homosexual tendencies to play mind games with his opponents. This was off set by his valet, Marlena, who was later revealed to he his wife. Fans didn't know what to make of the Goldust character, but things would get even more weird as time rolled on. 1997 was a unique year for Runnels, who was experiencing real-life personal problems towards the end of it. Splitting from his wife, the man started to desperately cling to his outlandish wrestling character. That's why Goldust started regularly wearing bondage gear and lingerie during appearances. It wasn't the first time Goldust had worn women's clothing, he'd done so at WrestleMania XII. However, it was more than a little awkward for fans to tune into episodes of Raw Is War and see the grown man wearing suspenders and a bra. Goldust was supposed to be strange, but some antics were a bit perplexing.