Wrestling fans still associate Luger’s romantic history with Elizabeth Hulette, known to millions worldwide as "The First Lady of Wrestling," Miss Elizabeth. After Hulette divorced "Macho Man" Randy Savage in 1992, she and Luger began an off-screen relationship during their shared run in WCW throughout the late 1990s. By 2000, they were living together in a suburban townhouse in Marietta, Georgia.
The relationship was fraught with turbulence. Friends and colleagues voiced growing alarm over the couple's heavy dependence on alcohol and prescription narcotics. On April 19, 2003, police were summoned to their residence following a domestic dispute that left Hulette with visible bruising, resulting in Luger's arrest on misdemeanor battery charges.
Less than two weeks later, tragedy struck. On the morning of May 1, 2003, Luger dialed 911 when Hulette became unresponsive after consuming a lethal combination of vodka, tranquilizers, and painkillers. Paramedics pronounced the 42-year-old dead at the scene. An autopsy ruled the death an accidental overdose. Luger faced multiple felony drug possession charges following a subsequent search of the property, escaping prison time with five years of probation, hefty fines, and court-mandated counseling. The event destroyed Luger’s public reputation and plunged him into a severe psychological depression.
