The former wife of pro wrestling superstar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin broke what had been a court-imposed silence and charged that "domestic and drug abuse is out of hand in the WWE and something needs to be done about it."
Debra Williams' stunning charge, reported Wednesday by MyFoxColorado.com, comes in the wake of the grisly discovery of the bodies of Chris Benoit and his wife, Nancy-Daus Benoit, and 7-year-old son, Daniel.
Click here to see pictures of Benoit.
Police in Fayetteville, Ga., say Benoit strangled his wife Friday, then suffocated his son on Saturday before hanging himself on Sunday. Their bodies were discovered Monday morning after Benoit canceled pay-per-view and personal appearances that weekend in Texas.
Investigators said anabolic steroids and other drugs were found in the Benoit house.
Williams, meanwhile, is one of the more visible wrestling wives and had been scripted into many televised bouts and appearances. She was married to Steve McMichaels, a former Chicago Bears football player, when she first began working with the Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling organization. When that group was acquired by WWF — now WWE — she divorced McMichaels and married Austin.
Williams told MyFoxColorado.com that Nancy-Daus Benoit's history of domestic violence and being married to a steroid user was similar to her own.
Click here to see pictures of Nancy-Daus Benoit.
Both sought help from law enforcement because of domestic abuse, she said.
In 2003, Benoit sought a divorce from Chris Benoit saying he physically abused her, and asked the courts for a restraining order. Williams did the same thing on the third occasion when she says she was attacked by "Stone Cold."
"He did them, I saw him do them!" Williams said about her ex-husband's use of steroids.
Williams says, like Benoit, Austin all but forced her to write a letter to authorities saying her complaint was a mistake. But in Williams’ case, the courts put Austin on probation for a year. In return, Williams says she was placed under a gag order, forcing her to remain silent about the "dark side" of professional wrestling, filled with drugs, booze and domestic abuse.
"If only I had spoken up sooner, maybe Nancy and her little boy would be alive today. ... That's why I'm going public now, something has to change!"
Click here to read the complete MyFoxColorado.com story and view their video report.
Click here to read the latest on the Benoit case from FOXNews.com.
— Investigators detail how Chris Benoit used text and phone messages to create an alibi and direct WWE officials to his house to discover the crime.
Click here to read about Chris Benoit's journey from athlete to murderer.
Click here to read how Nancy Benoit became a pro wrestling wife, mom and manager.
Click here to read about the investigation into whether steroids played a part in the crime.
Click here to read about other tragedies and deaths in pro wrestling.
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