When it comes to wrestling managers, Terri Runnels was one of the best. Whether fans knew her by Terri or Marlena, the blonde beauty often stole the spotlight from her clients. Throughout the years, Terri served as manager to her husband Dustin Rhodes, and The Hardy Boyz as well. With Terri by their side, the careers of these men were elevated.

Although Terri was known mostly for her managerial skills, she also occasionally wrestled and later served as a backstage interviewer. These days, Terri is leading a normal life away from the ring, but her time in WWE is still talked about. As with many other stars, numerous stories have emerged about Terri over the years. So take a look at some backstage tidbits from Terri's days in the business.

UPDATE: 2024/03/10 14:30 EST BY MICHAEL CHIN

Terri Runnels occupies an interesting space in pro wrestling history. She was never a properly trained in-ring performer, nor demonstrated much natural aptitude for the physical elements of the business. Neither was she an especially strong talker. Just the same, she arrived on the scene at a key time in wrestling history to play a noteworthy role as a manager in WCW, before elevating her status as an iconic sex symbol for WWE starting in the New Generation and transitioning into the Attitude Era. It can be interesting to track her history, including how she got her start with the Alexandra York character in WCW as well as her feelings on opportunities WWE did not ultimately allow her to have.

Terri Runnels Came Up With Her First Gimmick Name In WCW

Alexandra York Was An Eye-Catching Heel Manager

• Ole Anderson came up the defining character traits for the Alexandra York character and The York Foundation faction.
• Terri Runnels herself came up with the Alexandra York name.
• Terri Runnels cited that she thought the name sounded "snotty," and so would be perfect fit for this persona.

When Terri Runnels got her start in professional wrestling, it was via WCW where head booker Ole Anderson mapped out her character as a different style of heel manager for its time. Runnels credited Anderson with most aspects of her persona, though she explained in a shoot interview with Highspots that she actually came up with the name she used--Alexandra York.

The story behind the name's conception wasn't all that poetic, symbolic, or deeply meaningful. Rather, Runnels indicated that she thought the name sounded "snotty" and Anderson agreed it would fit her role. So it was that the character was born, and The York Foundation followed.

Terri Runnels Was Upset About Being Left Off WrestleMania 17

WrestleMania 17 Is Regarded As One Of The Greatest Pro Wrestling Events Of All Time

• Many fans view WrestleMania 17 as the climax of the Attitude Era and a victory lap after WWE won the Monday Night War; accordingly its viewed as perhaps the greatest wrestling event of all time.
• Despite different ideas being floated for Terri Runnels to be involved in WrestleMania 17, nothing materialized.
• Terri Runnels has said, in hindsight, she started to have a bad attitude backstage because of this snub.

In her Highspots shoot interview, Terri Runnels also discussed her frustration with being left off the show for WrestleMania 17. It's understandable that anyone who was involved with WWE in that era would be disappointed not to make that card given how legendary it was--often regarded as one of, if not the greatest wrestling show of all time.

According to Runnels, there were multiple ideas for her to factor into this major event, but they all fell apart before it actually came to pass. She said that this snub led to her developing a negative attitude about how the company used her.

Terri Runnels Saw Owen Hart Mess Up Harley Race's Chili

Owen Hart Was A Notorious Ribber But Paid The Price For This Prank

• Wrestlers would visit Harley Race's house for chili when they came through St. Louis.
• Owen Hart added hot sauce that ruined Harley Race's chili.
• Harley Race got his revenge on Owen Hart with a stun gun the next night.

In a round of answering fan questions on Reddit, in the "Ask Me Anything" format, Terri Runnels shared that she and her then-husband Dustin Rhodes used to visit Harley Race’s house when they were in town and stopped in for chili one night. Owen Hart was there, too, and being his mischievous self, decided to mess with the chili that Race took great pride in, adding a great deal of hot sauce. (Runnels speculated he may have only meant to add a little, but the whole bottle poured out--of course, given Hart's propensity to figuratively stir the pot, she couldn't be sure.)

Runnels was also privy to the aftermath of this rib, as Race came after him the next day with a stun gun. From her eye-witness account, the decorated NWA Champion punished The King of Harts mercilessly, until he actually cried.

The Big Boss Man Got Himself And Terri Runnels Lost In A Parking Garage

Ray Traylor And Terri Runnels Were Travel Partners For A Stretch

• Terri Runnels and Ray Traylor rode together for a time during The Attitude Era.
• Terri Runnels suggested Ray Traylor indulged in some recreational substance use.
• Terri Runnels told a story about Ray Traylor getting the two of them lost in a parking garage.

When fans on Reddit asked Terri Runnels for stories about the late Ray Traylor--with whom she'd overlapped for a time in WWE during The Attitude Era--she responded that she had quite a few. The one that came to mind, though, stemmed from a period where the two of them traveled together on the road.

Runnels alleged that The Big Boss Man had indulged in recreational marijuana. The results impaired his sense of direction, or else his ability to follow signage. Whatever the case may be, Traylor was behind the wheel, trying to do something as seemingly simple as drive his car full of fellow talents out of a parking garage. The result was a hilarious scenario in which they somehow spent fifteen minutes lost in the parking structure.

Terri Runnels Had A Cute Memory With The Hardy Boyz

A Key Spot Was Designed To Make Terri Runnels The Center Of The Drama

• Early in their WWE run, The Hardy Boyz had Terri Runnels in their corner.
• In an angle meant to create drama and inspire sympathy, Terri Runnels took a bump and appeared injured.
• The inexperienced Hardy Boyz forgot to sell the angle by checking on their manager.

Runnels had a decent stint working with an early version of the Hardy Boyz as their manager. In an interview, Terri brought up a cute memory that she has of Jeff and Matt. A match spot would see Runnels get injured to stir up some drama. However in the match itself, the brothers were too busy running around and high-fiving each other and did not check on their potentially injured manager.

Runnels laughed at the memory, calling the brothers cute for the enthusiasm and inexperience.

Being A Makeup Artist Got Terri Runnels In The Business

Terri Runnels Worked For CNN Before Transitioning To Jim Crockett Promotions

• Terri Runnels did makeup for people appearing on screen for CNN from the mid-1980s to early 1990s.
• Terri Runnels started doing makeup for wrestlers under Jim Crockett Promotions on the weekend, and came on full-time when Ted Turner bought them out to formally launch the WCW brand.
• Ole Anderson invited Terri Runnels to become an on-screen character.

Runnels spent six years as a makeup artist for CNN from 1985 to 1991. On the weekends, she also used to do makeup for Jim Crockett Promotions. When it was bought out by Ted Turner and turned into WCW in 1988, she moved to Atlanta to continue doing makeup for the wrestlers on the roster.

In 1990, Ole Anderson asked her to join the roster as a manager and she debuted as Alexandra York, leading a group called the York Foundation. The rest as they say, is history.

Marlena Almost Became A Man

An Interview Conducted By Jim Ross Revealed An Infamous Pitch For Marlena's Character Years Later

• The Goldust character was ahead of its time and had sexual overtones
• Vince McMahon went a step too far in pitching that Marlena be revealed to have male anatomy under her dress.
• Rather than a progressive take on gender, it seems this gimmick was conceptualized more for shock value and to handled in poor taste.

WWE is known for coming up with wacky ideas. One of their most outrageous plans revolved around Terri's character Marlena. In a 2016 interview with Jim Ross, Terri discussed Vince McMahon's idea to make Marlena a man.

According to Terri, the pitch was made to have her wear a fake male appendage under her outfits. Then depending on what type of outfit she wore, fans would notice the oddity and realize something was up with Marlena. Luckily for Terri and fans, the idea was dismissed.

Terri Runnels Didn't Want To Wrestle

Terri Runnels Worked A Number Of Matches Opposite The Kat In Particular

• Terri Runnels was not a properly trained wrestler.
• Terri Runnels was uncomfortable being asked to work matches with The Kat, but Vince McMahon had her go through with them.
• The matches between Terri Runnels and The Kat were a sign of their times, when WWE didn't take women's wrestling very seriously and emphasized sex appeal instead.

Terri is well-known for managing, a role that she excelled in. However, there were times where she had to compete inside the ring, which is often the case with backstage and on-screen personalities. One of Terri's most famous rivalries was against The Kat. Their feud led to a series of matches throughout the spring and summer of 2000. Although Terri's wrestling skills weren't the best, she pulled it off.

But according to her, she hated wrestling. The star would be nervous upon learning she had to wrestle and tried to get Vince to change his mind. However, the Chairman ignored her pleas, and told her she'd do great.

Perry Saturn Wanted To Date Terri Runnels

Perry Saturn Asked Out Terri Runnels While They Were Linked On Screen

• Terri Runnels briefly played Perry Saturn's on-screen manager and girlfriend.
• When Terri Runnels rejected Perry Saturn's real life advances, it created some bitterness.
• Perry Saturn apologized for not handling the rejection well, and he and Terri Runnels moved on as friends and colleagues.

Out of all the wrestlers Terri managed throughout the years, Dustin is the one fans knew she was romantically involved with. Terri and Dustin were married for six years before calling it quits in 1999, making them a manager-wrestler pairing that was married in real life. Fans were understandably left wondering if she dated any of her other clients. The answer was no. However, there is one guy who tried to date Terri.

Perry Saturn was Terri's onscreen client and boyfriend for a brief storyline. Saturn then tried to make their onscreen partnership into a real-life relationship. Perry asked Terri on a date, but the blonde beauty refused his advances. Saturn was so upset that Terri turned him down that he didn't speak to her for two weeks. After he had time to cool down, Saturn apologized and agreed with Terri that they're better off as friends.

Terri Runnels Hated The Miscarriage Angle

Terri Runnels Protested Against Vince Russo's Creative

• Terri Runnels was a key part of the PMS faction.
• Terri Runnels announced a kayfabe pregnancy.
• A bump off the ring apron led to a storyline miscarriage for Terri Runnels.

From 1998 to 1999, Terri formed a women's faction with Jacqueline and Ryan Shamrock. The ladies called themselves PMS, aka Pretty Mean Sisters. Although Terri loved working with the two women, she hated the stable's name and thought it should've been changed. But that's not the only thing Terri disliked during her days as a PMS member.

Terri became involved in a romance angle with Val Venis, but after she announced her pregnancy, the suave wrestler dumped her. Later, Terri accompanied her newest client D'Lo Brown to the ring for his match against Venis. During the match, Brown accidentally knocked Terri off the ring apron, which resulted in her miscarrying her baby. However, it was later revealed that Terri was never pregnant. Terri hated the angle and thought it was a horrible idea. She repeatedly spoke to Vince Russo backstage to beg him to change his mind, but he wouldn't budge.

Terri Runnels Dated New Jack

The Famed Hardcore Wrestler And Terri Runnels Were Together For Two Years

• While fans tend to think of Terri Runnels being linked to Dustin Rhodes romantically, she also dated New Jack.
• Terri Runnels and New Jack were together from 2009 to 2011.
• New Jack and Terri Runnels had a messy split, which included a lawsuit.

Dustin Rhodes wouldn't be the only wrestler Terri would become romantically involved with. In 2009, she began dating former ECW star New Jack. The pair was together for two years before breaking up in 2011. However, unlike other wrestling splits, this one wasn't amicable.

New Jack wasn't shy about revealing details about his relationship with Terri. In shoot interviews, the wrestler discussed what went down in the bedroom. He also made outrageous claims against Terri, including infidelity and an addiction to pills and alcohol. As if that wasn't enough, New Jack also began selling explicit photos of his ex. Terri fought back when she filed a libel suit against New Jack and asked the court to ban him from selling the photographs.

Came Up With The Marlena Gimmick

An Actress From Yesteryear Inspired Terri Runnels To Take On Arguably Her Most Famous Gimmick

• Terri Runnels cited actress Marlen Dietrich as the inspiration for the Marlena character.
• WWE management wasn't keen on the idea of Marlena at first.
• Months later, WWE embraced the concept, and the iconic duo of Goldust and Marlena took flight.

Although Vince McMahon loves to take credit for coming up with gimmicks, Marlena isn't a character he created. Terri herself came up with the idea. According to Terri, she thought her husband needed a valet, and came up with a character modeled after actress Marlene Dietrich.

When Terri originally pitched the idea to higher-ups, they turned her down. But a month later, she got a call saying they wanted to move forward with her idea. Without Terri's creativity and WWE's approval, wrestling wouldn't have their favorite cigar-smoking, golden valet.

The Raw 25 Segment Planned For Terri Runnels Got Nixed By Vince McMahon

The Original Plan Would Have Made For A Much More Memorable Night For Terri Runnels

• Terri Runnels was supposed to work an on-screen reunion with Goldust.
• Vince McMahon called off the plans.
• Terri Runnels wound up lumped into a forgettable role with other female talents.

Nearly 14 years after leaving WWE, Terri made her return for Monday Night Raw's 25th anniversary. The segment Terri participated in was honoring the legendary women of WWE, which also included The Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, and Trish Stratus.

But if Terri had it her way, she would've been in a different segment. Terri and Dustin pitched an idea where they'd be reunited onscreen as Goldust and Marlena. She would accompany her ex to the ring for his match later in the night. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon nixed the idea, and Terri was left to participate in the women's segment, which she found disappointing.

Dusty Rhodes Didn't Like Her Terri Runnels

Dustin Rhodes Had A Falling Out With His Father, Tied To His Romantic Relationship

• Terri Runnels and Dustin Rhodes married in 1993.
• Dusty Rhodes disapproved of his daughter-in-law, which was a major contributing factor to an estrangement between father and son.
• Dustin Rhodes and Terri Runnels divorced in 1999.

When Terri married Dustin in 1993, she became a member of a legendary wrestling family. However, being the daughter-in-law of the iconic Dusty Rhodes isn't something Terri bragged about. During Terri and Dustin's six-year marriage, the couple had their share of issues, many of which revolved around Dustin's father.

According to Terri, Dustin and Dusty were estranged, which caused problems in their marriage. To make matters worse, Dusty reportedly hated his daughter-in-law. The elder Rhodes was constantly throwing accusations about her being unfaithful and a gold-digger. With Dusty's interference, Terri and Dustin had a nasty divorce in 1999. Although there were a lot of hurt feelings, they managed to put their hostility aside for the sake of Terri and Dustin's daughter Dakota.

Terri Runnels Was To Leave Goldust For Brian Pillman

The Controversial Storyline Was Supposed To Include An On-Screen Wedding

• Marlena was a featured part of the feud between Brian Pillman and Goldust in 1997.
• Brian Pillman won Marlena's services as a manager for thirty days in a match.
• The tragic death of Brian Pillman cut short the storyline.

One of the biggest storylines of Terri's career came in 1997. Her character Marlena was in the center of the feud between Goldust and the ever-controversial Brian Pillman, who fought for her affections. The two men had a match with Marlena's services at stake. Goldust lost, and Pillman won Marlena, who would stay with him for thirty days.

Unfortunately, the storyline was cut short due to Pillman's untimely death in October 1997. Original plans for the storyline had Marlena dumping Goldust during their onscreen wedding to be with Pillman, who she was now in love with.

Terri Runnels Claimed Brock Lesnar Flashed Her

The Accusation From Terri Runnels Has Only Become More Troubling In Light Of Other Allegations Against Brock Lesnar

• Terri Runnels claimed Brock Lesnar exposed himself to her backstage in 2002.
• The story came out during the #SpeakingOut movement in 2020.
• Janel Grant's allegations in 2024 have reflected poorly on Brock Lesnar as well.

In the summer of 2020 during the #SpeakingOut movement, Terri shared her own story of harassment by Brock Lesnar, something that isn't often discussed when talking about The Beast.

Terri explained the incident happened in 2002. She was walking in the backstage area, and when she passed Lesnar's dressing room he called out to her. Lesnar was draped in only a towel, he then proceeded to open the cloth and expose his manhood to Runnels. Terri was appalled at Lesnar's behavior and said she lost a lot of respect for him. The claims only look worst for The Beast since Janel Grant's accusations pertaining to him that went public in 2024.