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Teddy Hart's crimes: Wrestler jailed in Texas for injuring a child, here's a look at his legal troubles

Physical and sexual assault, unlawful confinement, auto theft, draining a woman of $229,000 for weed and cat food, here's a history of Hart's run-ins with the law

FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Professional wrestler Edward Annis, known better by his ring name Teddy Hart, is back behind bars after being arrested on February 10 on charges of evading arrest with a vehicle, injuring a child/elderly/disabled individual and possession of a controlled substance. The wrestler, whose issues with the law have brought him in and out of jail on several occasions, now finds himself behind bars once again at Tarrant County Correction Center in Fort Worth, Texas. 

The 'Is Teddy Hart In Jail' Twitter account, which is dedicated to daily updates about whether Hart is incarcerated or not, had to update fans twice on February 17, after an initial 'no'. "EVENING UPDATE: Yes," said the account. Specific details on the arrest are yet to be revealed.

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Possession of 'penalty group one' substance

The 41-year-old Canadian wrestling star was specifically charged with possession of a 'penalty group one' controlled substance. In Tarrant County, it is the single most serious class of illegal drugs and includes cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. Hart has had numerous run-ins with the law over the years. He was arrested in October 2020 on the same charges, which actually stemmed from an earlier case in December 2016, said ProWrestling.com. It is possible these incidents are linked.

Hart is the heir to the Hart Dynasty, a professional wrestling stable. While being constantly hired and fired, he started commercially breeding cats in Alberta and working as a security driver for escort services. This is how he met two women who later accused him of sexual harassment. 

Sexually harassed, cheated a woman of $229,000 for weed and cat food

On December 3, 2014, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced that the wrestler was wanted on charges of physical and sexual assault and unlawful confinement of two women. Hart threatened to kill their pets and family members and confiscated their IDs and phones. The women said he filmed sexual acts to blackmail them, one even said that she wasn't a sex worker until Teddy 'pimped her out'. She also complained that he took all of $229,000 from her 'in a matter of months, mostly for weed and cat food', according to a Rolling Stone report. The charges were dropped two years later in June.

Annis later opened up about several personal/real-life topics including an earlier rape accusation in an interview hosted by wrestlers Chuckie T and Trent Barreta in January 2015. Hart talked about how he went to jail after being accused of rape. "He talked about the police coming to his home and how he told the cops he should be arrested then if that is the case. After the cop told him he was acting like a smart ass, Hart said they cannot come in unless they had a warrant and proceeded to smash a picture...before saying he wrestled in Mexico against guys with Hepatitis C and HIV and how he didn't rape anyone and to listen to what he said," read the interview. It goes on to say that Hart offered 'guys on the street' marijuana so that they wouldn't do cocaine or meth, following which the WWE extradited him and got him into a rehab where he met pro-wrestler Razor Ramon, 'a guy he always wanted to meet'. "After that, he left and got back to Canada as a free man while he learned the accuser recanted their story and he was set free," it says.

Choking and assaulting Maria Manic

On January 1, 2017, Annis was arrested in Arlington, Texas on charges of evading arrest and auto theft. The charges were later dropped. In February 2020, Annis was arrested in Virginia for possession of a schedule III substance with the intent to sell or distribute. In March the same year, Annis was once again arrested in Virginia, this time for violating the conditions of his bail by not staying under house arrest. In the same month, Annis was arrested in Virginia for a third time in the same year, after allegedly choking and assaulting his girlfriend, independent wrestler Maria Manic at the home of another independent wrestler, Ace Montana.

Montana wrote in a Wrestlingnews interview, “I literally had to pull my gun on #Teddyhart and throw him out of my friends house. This piece of sh*t literally choked out and physically assaulted Maria Manic and would not let her get help. she texted me I’m in danger never ever did I think I would meet a piece of sh like this guy who has now been arrested with a felony against him. I don’t think this guy knew how close to death he was. #f**kyouteddyheart.” He was held without bail in the Richmond City jail until his court date on April 22, 2020.