When WWE started the 'Brand Extension' in 2002, they seemed interested in pushing Jeff Hardy as a singles star. That continued on into early-2003, but any talk of a push abruptly halted when Hardy's personal life started to affect his professional one. Jeff was released in April, '03, but not before engaging in a strange storyline with Trish Stratus. Saving Trish from a beatdown by Victoria and Stevie Richards on Raw was fair enough. Hardy was a babyface, and someone had to come to her rescue. That said, it was pretty random when Jeff hauled Trish to her feet and planted a kiss on her. Even worse, the situation seemed to escalate from nowhere. The pair had earlier been involved in a similar situation years prior, but that was never even acknowledged. From there, Stratus and Hardy were shown holding hands, spending time together and kissing. This lasted almost right up until Jeff's departure from the company. The pair looked thoroughly awkward during their interactions, and the whole 'relationship' came across as less-than-natural. This isn't a storyline Trish will look back on fondly, because it came across as unrealistic and awkward.