When Jeff Hardy and CM Punk feuded in 2009, things took an uncomfortable turn for many people, as Jeff's real-life drug addiction issues were used as part of the storyline. Many fans felt it was unnecessary to use it. Things only got worse because Punk was the heel for basically saying "don't do drugs, kids", while Jeff was the face for just about saying "hey, you gotta make your own decisions and try things sometimes, kids". After Jeff had left WWE, their feud took an interesting turn after a video of a clearly inebriated and/or high on something "Charismatic Enigma" in what appeared to be some sort of diner appeared online. In the video, Jeff rambled on about how he thought Punk was a "nerd" because of his Straight Edge beliefs and lifestyle, and how he (Jeff) was the one responsible for making Punk a "motherf***ing superstar". After flipping the bird to the camera, Jeff would go on and basically tell Punk that life is better if you live it like Jeff Hardy, furthering the "you gotta try things out sometimes" mentality. Jeff would then accuse Punk of taking Ambien, a prescription medication used to help treat insomnia, to get to sleep every night, saying that he doesn't believe anything about the Straight Edge way of life that Punk has been preaching. The camera would then pan over to Matt Hardy, who also seemed to be under the influence of something, and Matt would mention Punk's relationship (at the time) with Amy Dumas, saying that Dumas would always call him (Matt) when things were tough in her life. The video was weird, and it crossed the line beyond someone trying to cut a "promo" on another person. Nothing ever came of it, of course, with Jeff working for a different company all this time, and then seemingly changing his opinion on Punk in late-2012. By then, Jeff would publicly say that he and Punk merely have different outlooks on life, but that Punk was a very talented performer. At one point, though, before he turned his life around, Jeff certainly wasn't afraid to share his true feelings for the man he felt embarrassed him and his family on television by bringing up his addiction problems and legal issues for a storyline.
Columnist/Podcaster/Director at LordsOfPain.net for nearly seven years, with nearly 2000 total columns written. Interviewed and/or involved in interviewing the likes of Tyler Black/Seth Rollins (twice), Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, Uhaa Nation and more.
