WWE Suspends Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler After Domestic Assault Arrest
“The King” was taken into police custody on Friday
Joe Otterson | June 17, 2016 @ 7:41 AM
Last Updated: June 17, 2016 @ 9:35 AM
WWE
Jerry Lawler, known to WWE fans as “The King,” was arrested in Tennessee on Friday following an incident with his girlfriend, TheWrap has learned.
Lawler and his girlriend, Lauryn McBride, were both taken into custody on charges of domestic assault — a misdemeanor — with each claiming the other had assaulted them.
WWE came down swiftly on Lawler and suspended him indefinitely while an investigation is underway, according to their official website.
“WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Jerry Lawler has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest,” the company said in a statement.
Lawler has been with WWE since 1992, both as a color commentator and occasional wrestler. Prior to that, he established himself as a major draw in Memphis, where he was dubbed “The King of Wrestling.” He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
While Lawler is known to abstain from drinking and drugs, unlike many other wrestlers of his era, he has had run ins with the law in the past. In 1993, Lawler was arrested for statutory rape, but the charges were later dropped. He also allegedly tore up a ticket given to him by a Tennessee police officer and threw it back in the officer’s face in 1999.
13 Wrestlers Who Body Slammed the Acting World (Photos)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-This former WWE champ has a massive movie career, most recently starring in "Furious 7" and "San Andreas."
Universal Pictures
Andre the Giant-The gentle giant delighted fans with his portrayal of Fezzik in "The Princess Bride."
20th Century Fox
Hulk Hogan-One of the most popular wrestlers in history appeared in "Mr. Nanny," "Suburban Commando," and "Rocky III."
New Line Cinema
Roddy Piper-This notorious wrestling bad boy came to chew bubblegum and kick butt in John Carpenter's 1988 film "They Live."
Universal
Lou Albano-This WWE Hall of Famer portrayed video game plumber Mario in the "Super Mario Bros." TV show.
Dakota Pictures
Nathan Jones-The former wrestler appeared in "Mad Max: Fury Road" and Jet Li's "Fearless."
Warner Bros.
Jesse Ventura-This wrestler and ex Minnesota governor didn't have time to bleed in Schwarzenegger vehicle "Predator."
20th Century Fox
Diamond Dallas Page-This superstar has appeared in numerous films, including the 2005 Rob Zombie film "Devil's Rejects"
Boundless Pictures
Steve Austin-The face of the Attitude Era has appeared in "The Longest Yard," "The Condemned" and "The Expendables."
Millennium Films
Dave Bautista-This wrestler recently broke out with his role as Drax in the megahit "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Marvel Studios
Chris Jericho-The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rollah appeared in "MacGruber" and currently stars in the web series "Nothing to Report."
Anxiety Island Entertainment
Tom "Tiny" Lister-Most famous for his role as Deebo in "Friday," enjoyed a stint as a pro wrestler in the late '80s.
New Line Cinema
Triple H-WWE's executive vice president tried his hand at acting in "Blade: Trinity" and "The Chaperone."
New Line Cinema
