The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Chris Benoit

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The following article contains references to substance abuse and suicide.

When you think of wrestling stars, names like Dwayne Johnson, Hulk Hogan, and John Cena likely top the list. However, there are plenty of other athletes who show incredible skill in the ring without ever becoming household names. That was the case for Canadian Chris Benoit, nicknamed The (Canadian) Crippler and The Rabid Wolverine, until one horrific weekend in 2007 when he destroyed his life and career and became the topic of national headlines.

Benoit's pro career began in his native Calgary, Alberta, as part of Stampede Wrestling. After four years, he moved to Japan where he performed for five years before finally catching his big break in the U.S. Benoit was recruited to the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1995 and eventually built up his reputation enough to transfer over to the WWE. All of his dreams appeared to be coming true when he inexplicably lashed out, killing his wife and son before taking his own life. What happened leading up to that day, and could his career have been to blame? Here's a look inside the tragic real-life story of Chris Benoit.

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Chris Benoit fell in love with wrestling at a young age. As he told Slam Wrestling in 1997, he was introduced to the sport by watching Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling while growing up in Edmonton, Canada. "[I] just had dreams and aspirations to wrestle pretty well my whole life," he told the outlet.

Indeed, at just 13 years old, Benoit started weight training and attending "Stampede Wrestling" events so he could meet the pros in person. "They told me I'd better finish high school before they'd even consider me," he told Slam Wrestling. At 17, Benoit started training seriously and had his first match just a year later in 1985. However, despite his quick route to the ring, he had to contend with the fact that he was shorter and slimmer than most of the guys around him. "When I first wanted to get into it, a lot of people told me 'You're too small, you can't do it,'" he admitted. "A lot of people put me down."

Even so, Benoit decided to pursue his dream — no matter what. That included working out at least five times a week. "Sometimes, I'm in there seven days a week," he shared — eating healthy and taking a long list of supplements. "If you really want it bad enough, I believe that you can have anything and accomplish anything you want to," he mused.

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Haters couldn't stop Chris Benoit from pursuing his pro wrestling dreams and neither could a mounting list of injuries. While speaking with Slam Wrestling in 1997, Benoit said his worst injury to date had been breaking his foot at the start of his career. However, that was far from his only painful encounter. "Every time you walk out of that ring you have an injury," he shared. "It's a tough sport."

In the years that followed, Benoit never seemed to take a break, instead working through the pain and performing between 250 to 300 nights each year. He became known for head-butting his opponents and allowing them to hit him in the head with real steel chairs, resulting in repeated blunt-force head trauma. He even had a diving headbutt maneuver he employed as a signature move for years.  As former WWE star Marc Mero told Maxim, while concussions aren't often talked about in wrestling, they're exceedingly common. "There have been matches I didn't even remember competing in after I was done," he revealed. Benoit was no exception, but rather than altering his routine and go-to moves, he pushed on, instead turning to what Maxim dubbed "an enormous intake of performance-enhancing drugs" to keep up.

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At the same time that Chris Benoit's career was taking off, his personal life also flourished after meeting fellow wrestler Nancy Toffoloni (known as Woman) on the job in 1996. At the time, Nancy was actually the wife of wrestler and booker Kevin Sullivan, who was feuding with Benoit in the ring. Interestingly, Sullivan decided Benoit and Nancy should have a scripted affair, which eventually turned into the real thing, with Nancy leaving Sullivan for Benoit in real life. Sullivan would later maintain that he and Nancy were already separated and ready to get a divorce when the storyline began. Whatever the truth was, Benoit and Nancy tied the knot and welcomed one son, Daniel Christopher, in 2000, just a month after Benoit officially left World Championship Wrestling (WCW) for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Unfortunately, as Maxim noted, Benoit's work schedule and constant touring soon took a toll on his union, and in 2003, Nancy filed for divorce. She also asked for a restraining order, claiming her husband had trashed their home and threatened to hit her. "He'd just get in these bad moods and destroy things," Nancy's lawyer, Joe Saia, would later tell The Citizen. Ultimately, though, she asked a court to have both petitions dismissed just three months later.

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Chris and Nancy Benoit's volatile relationship was likely made worse by the wrestler's busy wrestling schedule coupled with their son's medical needs, according to numerous sources. Speaking with the media, via ESPN, WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt claimed that Benoit's family and friends told him the couple would often disagree about what was best for their son.

Daniel Christopher was born with a rare genetic disease called Fragile X syndrome, which WebMD explains can affect numerous aspects of a child's life, including their development, everyday behavior, and even appearance. According to McDevitt, Nancy wanted her husband to pull back on his wrestling commitments. "She'd say she can't take care of him by herself when he was on the road," McDevitt claimed, adding it was a constant source of stress and disagreements for the pair. "I think it's fair to say that the subject of caring for that child was part of what made their relationship complicated and difficult," he concluded.

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Chris Benoit's career reached a real peak in 2004 when he was crowned the WWE's World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania XX. Making the moment even more special was the fact that his best friend, Eddie Guerrero, had won the WWE Championship earlier that year in February. Both wrestlers were thriving, but in 2005, a 38-year-old Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room due to heart failure caused by excessive use of steroids and painkillers. As Maxim reported, Benoit, who was the same age, was deeply shaken by the loss of his colleague and friend. When his wife, Nancy, presented him with a journal to write down his feelings, he started penning letters to Guerrero, including one in which he reportedly vowed, "I'll be with you soon."

By 2007, Benoit's career had seemingly taken a turn for the worse, as he was moved over to Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the least popular branch of the WWE organization. According to insiders, Benoit started to fear he was being pushed out and became exceedingly paranoid. He even praised recently retired Rob Van Dam (who once made news for his alleged beef with Stephanie McMahon) for quitting the WWE. "He says, 'A lot of us don't know when to walk away from this business,'" Van Dam told Maxim of their last conversation. "It seemed like he was saying, 'Damn, I wish I could walk away right now.'"

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On June 26, 2007, the wrestling world was shaken as it learned of the tragic crimes Chris Benoit had committed. CBC confirmed that the 40-year-old wrestler had killed both his 43-year-old wife and their seven-year-old son before taking his own life inside their Georgia home. Making the news even more shocking were the details that later emerged. According to Maxim, the last person to see the family alive was their pool cleaner, who spotted Benoit and his son BBQing around 6 p.m. on Friday night. Later that evening, Benoit would kill his wife by strangling her. According to local law enforcement, Nancy was found in the home office with her arms and legs bound, a Bible next to her body. Meanwhile, little Daniel died on Saturday morning, also of asphyxiation, and similarly, a Bible was placed next to him. As ESPN reported, both victims had the tranquilizer Xanax in their system.

Before taking his own life, Benoit spoke to Chavo Guerrero (the nephew of his late best friend, Eddie Guerrero) to tell him he was running late to a wrestling match in Beaumont, Texas, that night but assured him he'd make it. Then, at 3:53 a.m. on Sunday, he texted Chavo his address and told him the garage door was open, prompting law enforcement to check on him. They found Benoit after he committed suicide in his home gym using a piece of equipment.

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Following Chris Benoit's shocking double murder-suicide, some folks began to wonder whether steroids and, more specifically, roid rage were to blame. Maxim reported that Benoit (like many other wrestlers) had easy access to prescription drugs, steroids, and human growth hormone. He reportedly took advantage of them all and also used cocaine. Indeed, Dr. Phil Astin, a physician who worked with numerous wrestlers, later admitted to providing Benoit with enough steroids to last 10 months every month. In 2009, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally giving patients prescription drugs.

Benoit's autopsy appeared to corroborate his reported abuse of drugs, as it showed he had Xanax, a painkiller called hydrocodone, and 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system, via ESPN. Speaking with WebMD, Dr. Gary Wadler described roid rage as "a form of loss of impulse control" and explained that steroid use could indeed lead to an increase in violent outbursts and suicide.

However, not everyone agreed. Dr. Kris Sperry told the media that the link between testosterone and roid rage hasn't been proven, and former WWE CEO Vince McMahon seconded that notion in his 2024 Netflix documentary, "Mr. McMahon." "There is no correlation between taking steroids and what happened to Chris Benoit," he argued, via MailOnline. "Chris went nuts."

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Chris Benoit's family couldn't believe that steroids were to blame for their son's actions, so they set out to find answers. "The person that did this is not the man we know and love," the wrestler's father, Michael, told Good Morning America. And so, in 2007, Benoit's relatives agreed to give part of his brain to neurosurgeon and former Pittsburgh Steelers team physician Julian Bailes for examination. Bailes and his team concluded that repeated concussions and blows to the head severely injured the wrestler's brain, which showed damage comparable to that of an 85-year-old with Alzheimer's. That, in turn, could have caused erratic and unnatural behavior, according to Bailes.

Despite the scientific research backing such claims, Vince McMahon shut down the theory in his Netflix documentary, "Mr. McMahon," saying wrestling caused no such injuries to Benoit. "This doctor came up with this ridiculous statement," he slammed, via MailOnline. "It looks like there's damage and there's not [...] we don't hurt each other."

If you or anyone you know needs help with mental health, substance abuse, child abuse, or suicidal thoughts, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.