Matt Hardy has confirmed that Jeff Hardy passed a WWE drug test taken before he left the company although he “knew he was done” when he jumped into the crowd at a live event.
Jeff Hardy’s departure from WWE on December 9th 2021 instantly became a source of great controversy. At the time it was reported that Hardy’s exit was a result of him turning down rehab after a “rough night” at a live event. It was also noted that he had missed a number of signing appearances.
Immediately following his brother’s exit from WWE, Matt Hardy repeatedly assured fans that Jeff was fine, sentiments echoed by Jeff’s wife Beth.
Meanwhile, it was recently reported that Jeff Hardy turned down the chance to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, instead insisting that he was given the results of drug tests he took before he left the company.
Following the report, Matt spoke on Twitch about the situation. The AEW star confirmed that his brother had passed all of WWE’s drug tests, but was stressed out by working for WWE. He added that Jeff told him he knew he was “done” with the company once he climbed into the crowd at the live event just before he got released.
“Whenever my brother ended up being released, he had taken a drug test. Usually, these drug tests come back in 10 to 14 days. Those 10 to 14 days had been up and he never got a test and he was curious as to where his result was.
He knew he had passed his drug test because he knew he hadn’t been doing any drugs and he has been clean, he’s been clean the whole while he’s been there. There was an issue where they said, ‘Jeff Hardy had this erratic behaviour’ and he ‘jumped over the guardrail’ or whatever. Hello, he’s Jeff Hardy, he’s a weird dude. That’s kind of what he does. The erratic behaviour is why they gave him a drug test and sent him home.
He addressed it with me and, as he was saying, he knew at that point…working for WWE is a very stressful job. I am not going here to bury WWE, I love WWE, Vince McMahon, everyone who is there. I wouldn’t be who I am and I wouldn’t have this life right now. I have great appreciation and I’m very grateful for everything I’ve done for them and every opportunity they’ve given me. It’s all good, but it’s also a very stressful environment. Anyone who has worked there knows that.
I feel Jeff was stressed out in many ways about several things and he confessed to me that when he went over that guardrail, he knew he was done. He was literally done with the match and he felt done,”
Hardy was then asked by his wife Reby, whether Jeff jumped the guardrail in order to get himself fired. Matt explained that he didn’t think what Jeff did was intentional, he was just acting on instinct.
“I don’t think he did it intentionally trying to get fired. He does shit like that all the time. There are times where we’re in the ring and he just goes into business for himself because that’s how he feels. That’s how he is. He’s a very, emotionally, supercharged person and he follows his emotions and instincts.”
Continuing on, Matt confirmed that Jeff was given an ultimatum by WWE which meant he would have to go to rehab or be released. However, knowing he wasn’t going to return a positive drug test, the former World Champion said the company may as well release him as he didn’t need to go to rehab.
“He took this drug test, he ended up being released a few days later. He never got the results of this drug test, he obviously passed all his drug tests. He was drug tested quite often when he worked there. It also leaked out that, he thought this was going to be a private conversation, they said with go to rehab or be released. They gave him an ultimatum.
He said, ‘Okay, you can release me then, I don’t need to go to rehab.’ That was his mentality at the time. Three weeks later, he hadn’t got his drug test and he asked to see it and got it. He was fighting, scratching, clawing to get the drug test and he got the run around,”
Matt again confirmed that his brother passed the drug test in question, before backing up reports of an offer to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“After my brother and his wife spoke to WWE a bit, they spoke to a lawyer to have him help them out. A couple of days ago, he got his drug test and it was compliant, Everything was negative, he passed on all levels. The main reason he was so adamant about getting those is because he wanted to clear his name,”
He got a call from John Laurinaitis and they offered to induct him into the Hall of Fame. That’s not made up. That’s a real thing that happened. He just asked for his drug test at the end of the conversation. He said, ‘No, I just want my drug test,’ kind of to clear his name.”
It has recently been announced that the Hardy Boyz will be reuniting on March 12th. The match will mark the first time that the brothers have wrestled together in three years.
H/t to Fightful for the transcription.