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Where Is She Now: Terri Runnels details life beyond wrestling, ex-husband Dustin Rhodes's drug-related past Dec 1, 2008 - 6:02:56 PM
Terri Runnels left WWE in March 2004 after spending eight years with the company as an interviewer, manager, and part-time wrestler. She wanted to spend more time with her child, Dakota, and get her family life in order following a divorce from Dustin Rhodes (Goldust), who just re-signed with WWE.
The person most affected was Dakota, says Terri Runnels, and that made her re-evaluate raising her family.
"At 5, she went from one stage to another. It breaks my heart. It almost makes me question if I should have stuck it out," Terri told Mike Mooneyham in the Charleston Post-Courier. "I know I shouldn't have, but it still breaks my heart. I would love to have seen who she might be right now had she never had to go through that."
Terri and Dustin have worked on their relationship for the sake of Dakota, and Terri won't say anything bad about Dustin despite an incident that occurred when Dustin was wrestling for TNA last year.
Dustin was charged with domestic abuse after being arrested following an argument with his girlfriend at an Orlando hotel. Dustin was charged with a misdemeanor, but the real problem is that Dakota was there to witness the incident.
"It's one of those things where it's very dramatic as a mother when I pick up a collect call on the phone, and I hear this little voice weeping, 'Mommy, I'm cold and I'm hungry and I'm scared, and I'm at the hospital and Dad's in jail,'" Terri said.
She then said the ride home was even tougher, as Dakota asked Terri about Dustin's drug use. Terri simply responded to Dakota, "Dad has set a new precedent. Therefore, unless you tell me you don't want to hear the truth, I will be honest with you and tell you what I know."
Also in the interview, Terri details her new relationship with former U.S. soldier Ty Clowe, who Terri met on one of the first "Tribute to the Troops" shows that WWE put on.
Caldwell's Analysis: I highly recommend reading Mooneyham's in-depth piece on Terri, as it was a gripping story from beginning to end. I read it through on Sunday, then "put it down" before writing this news story, as there was so much depth to Terri's story that picking out just a few elements for this article wouldn't do the story justice.
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