TMZ Sports
2/2/2010 6:05 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Muscle Relaxer Found on Arrested WWE Star

Chris Jericho's jail buddy and fellow WWE star Greg "Hurricane" Helms had a single muscle relaxer -- as in one pill -- on him when he was arrested last week for public intoxication ... this according to the police report.

According to the report, "a search of Helm's purse revealed one white round pill" which cops say was a Soma -- the generic version of the muscle relaxer Carisoprodol and a "schedule four narcotic."

Soma is no stranger to wrestling controversy. Dr. Phil Astin was recently jailed for 10 years after he was busted for prescribing Soma -- among other drugs -- in large quantities to wrestlers Chris Benoit and Michael Durham before they died.

In the report, it says Helms told cops he had a prescription for the pill but was not able to show proof of it at the time. Cops did not press charges against Helms over the single Soma pill.

WWE has yet to get back to us.

Celebrity Justice
5/12/2009 1:53 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Chris Benoit Doc Gets Ten in The Pen

Chris BenoitThe doctor who prescribed steroids for late wrestler Chris Benoit is going to prison for ten years.

Dr. Phil Astin was sentenced today in Georgia after he pled guilty to 25 counts back in January, including illegally distributing prescription drugs.

It's still unclear whether Astin-prescribed steroids caused Benoit to go berserk in 2007 -- when he killed his wife and child, then took his own life.

Astin was also linked to another wrestling tragedy -- Michael Durham died in 2006 with toxic levels of Soma and hydrocodone.


Launch  Photos
9/24/2007 3:16 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

WWE Tackles Drug Problem

In the wake of the death of wrestler Crush (aka Brian Adams), and the murder-suicide involving wrestler Chris Benoit, World Wrestling Entertainment sent a letter to more than 500 former WWE performers offering to pay for drug and alcohol counseling and rehab treatment, if they need it.
Vince McMahon
The letter, sent last week from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, urges performers in need to get help and encourages wrestlers to support one another. "If you do not have a drug and/or alcohol problem, but know you know a former WWE performer who does, we are asking you try to help them by encouraging them to take advantage of this opportunity."

When contacted, a rep for the WWE said the organization had no additional comment.
TMZ Sports
9/5/2007 10:14 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Dad: Benoit Was Demented

Click to return to TMZ.comThe father of dead WWE star Chris Benoit says that it might have been the effect of multiple concussions, not steroids, that drove Chris to kill his wife and son and then hang himself.

Michael Benoit told Diane Sawyer on this morning's "Good Morning America" that after the tragedy, he turned over part of his son's brain to Julian Bailes, a neurologist at the Sports Legacy Institute. Tissue analysis, said Bailes, showed that Benoit's brain tissue revealed damage similar to those of Alzheimer's patients, suggesting that he was suffering from a form of dementia, which could have led him to snap.

Benoit's dad told Sawyer that his son suffered "multiple concussions," and Dr. Bailes said that just three could lead to serious consequences. Whatever the case, said Michael Benoit, "The person that did this is not the man we know and love."
7/23/2007 11:47 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Kimmel's Benoit Burn Too Hot for TV

There is a line you can cross when roasting Flavor Flav -- and Jimmy Kimmel was the one who crossed it.
Jimmy Kimmel, Chris Benoit, Flavor Flav
During last night's four-letter fest in honor of the "Flavor of Love" star, Kimmel was poking fun at the fact that Flav has several children with several different women, when he said that "Chris Benoit is a better father than you." What, too soon?

A TMZ staffer who was at the roast (airing August 12 on Comedy Central) just happened to be sitting next to two censors for the network. When Kimmel made the crack, the censors looked at each other and laughed while shaking their heads "no." One immediately put down "Chris Benoit" on a list of jokes to cut. Another joke to make the list came at the end, when the Queen of Mean, Lisa Lampanelli, called the "Flavor of Love" girls sprinkled throughout the audience "nappy headed bitches."

C**t, c**ksucker and ni**a were fine -- but current events, ixnay?
Celebrity Justice
7/17/2007 3:33 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Benoit Had Steroids in His System

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says steroids were found in the body of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and young son last month before hanging himself.

Benoit's wife Nancy had "therapeutic levels" of Xanax and hydrocodone -- a generic Vicodin -- in her system when she died.

Investigators said they did find extremely elevated levels of testosterone in his bloodstream -- enough to say that Benoit was using the hormone when he died. They claim this is evidence that the wrestler was injecting himself with the steroid.

7/3/2007 4:54 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Chris Benoit Lives on ... at Target

A loyal TMZ reader has informed us that all merchandise related to the dead wrestler has been pulled from the WWE website, you can still find Chris Benoit (or at least his action figure) at your local Target store.
Target and Chris Benoit
Even more unbelievable, we found this little gem on the toy aisle at a Target in Atlanta, which is less than fifty miles from where the murders/suicide took place. Note the toy's now-prophetic title: "Micro Aggression." Eek.

The toy set comes complete with the evil Kane, the Undertaker (insert bad taste joke here), and alleged double murderer Benoit. Steroids not included.

Calls to Target reps have not been returned.

As we mentioned, this story came from an anonymous source. If you are inside the wresting community with a real story to tell, email us. All information will be completely confidential.

Celebrity Feuds
7/3/2007 2:34 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

WWE to Canada: Take Off, Hosers

The Chris Benoit double murder/suicide is still rocking the WWE, as they announced the cancellation of all Canadian events for the next month -- all because of the former "Canadian Crippler." While WWE sources claim that the "postponements" are to show sensitivity to the fans of Chris "Rabid Wolverine" Benoit, the WWE has a track record for bailing on the Great White North when troubles arise.
Chris Benoit and the Canadian flag
The death of Benoit's friend and teammate, Owen Hart, in 1999 kept the company away from parts of Canada for an entire year. After wrestler Bret Hart and WWE big cheese Vince McMahon's infamous "Montreal Screwjob" in 1997, they hid out until late '98. However, others say that the REAL reason for the cancellation is to avoid the ire and the loud, often profane chants of the live Canadian crowds. Chants of "You killed Owen!" and "You screwed Bret!" filled Canadian arenas for months after those scandals.

Perhaps the WWE isn't taking any chances on two live tapings of their RAW and SmackDown programs being filled with angry chants of "You killed Chris!"
Celebrity Justice
7/2/2007 5:41 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Was Benoit's Son Really Sick?

Chris BenoutAmid reports that WWE wrestler Chris Benoit allegedly injected his son with hormones because of a health condition, Scott Ballard, District Attorney of Fayette County, Ga., just released this statement:

"There are additional reports that contradict the earlier information that suggested that Daniel Benoit may have suffered from Dwarf Syndrome or Fragile X Syndrome. Daniel's family denies that he suffered from either condition. As a result of the family's concerns, the Fayette County Sheriff's investigators and the District Attorney's Office have inquired into this matter. A source having access to certain of Daniel's medical reports reviewed those reports, and they do not mention any pre-existing mental or physical impairment. Reports from Daniel's educators likewise contradict the claims that Daniel was physically undersized. The educators report that Daniel graduated kindergarten and was prepared to enter the first grade on par with the other students."
R.I.P.
6/28/2007 12:22 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Benoit and Son

This is the adorable child Chris Benoit suffocated before killing himself. This picture of Benoit and son Daniel was taken at a 2004 event honoring Chris.

Daniel Benoit suffered from Fragile X Syndrome, a chromosomal defect that causes autism-like behaviors, language delays and other physical/sensory problems, afflicting 1 in 3600 males and 1 in 4-6 thousand females.
6/27/2007 2:15 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Nikki Links Alleged Kid Killers Cutts, Benoit

Bobby Cutts, Jr. and Chris Benoit, the alleged child murderers whose cases are all over the news, have an unlikely lady link -- former NFL cheerleader/model Nikki Giavasis.

Giavasis has been everywhere -- "Today," "Good Morning America," CNN, MSNBC -- portraying Cutts, her former boyfriend and baby daddy, as "aggressive" and "threatening" -- and testifying to his potential to be a murderer. Cutts is the father of Nikki's nine-year-old daughter, and he has two other kids. In 1998, Giavasis was at home with former NBA star Shawn Kemp, when Cutts allegedly tried to break in.

Here's the crazy link: Giavasis was also featured in Wrestlemania XX, the WWE showcase that was won by none other than Benoit. Nikki was part of the WWE "Hot Team."

Giavasis' other credits include a starring role in the instructional video, "Becoming a Pro Cheer Leader" [sic] and appearances on reality series "The Casino" and ProActiv spots. She also claims in her bio that she has a genius-level IQ.

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