Jeff Jarrett says the story fans heard about his TNA exit was not the real story at all.
While speaking on Talk Is Jericho, Jarrett pushed back on the long-running belief that he was removed from TNA because of his relationship with Karen Angle. Chris Jericho brought up how messy everything looked from the outside, especially with Kurt Angle, Karen, Dixie Carter, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Jarrett all caught in the same storm. Jarrett said he understood why people were confused, but he insisted one thing was clear to him from the start.
“If you think it confused you… The thing that was so bizarre, but I knew it from the beginning, it had nothing to do with me and Karen. Zero.”
That was the part Jarrett wanted to make clear. In his mind, the Karen story became the easy public explanation, but the real issue was much deeper inside TNA.
Jarrett pointed to his ownership stake as the part people often leave out. He said he remained the single largest individual shareholder in the company until he was bought out in 2015, which made the situation a lot more complicated than a simple relationship scandal.
“I’m the single largest shareholder of the company till the day they bought me out in 2015. But I’m hearing, I know all the rumors. People are calling me left and right, this and that, all that kind of stuff.”
Jarrett said the whole thing was a mess, and he repeatedly questioned whether Dixie Carter really understood what was happening behind the scenes.
“It was a complete mess. And then through that whole process, I always would say, ‘Dixie, do you really know the real story?’
Yes, you do.”
That is where Jarrett pushed back even harder on the idea that Karen was the real reason. According to him, by the time Kurt Angle came into TNA, Kurt and Karen were no longer living together, and Dixie already knew more than people on the outside realized.
“So, it was never about… I mean, when we hired Kurt, she wasn’t living… they weren’t together. They were both… so she kind of knew. She didn’t cut it. She knew.”
Jarrett did not spell out every backstage detail, but he made it clear he believes the public version of events was too simple. To him, the situation was tied to power, ownership, and internal politics, while the Karen story became the one everyone repeated because it was easier to understand.
Looking back, Jarrett described it as an emotional period, but he also seemed at peace with how things played out: “So, it was a very emotional time, and, you know, everything happens for a reason.”
Jarrett’s version changes the way that chapter of TNA history looks. Fans may have heard for years that his relationship with Karen was the reason everything blew up, but Jarrett says that was never the real issue. In his eyes, the truth was much bigger than romance, and the people inside TNA knew it.
Do you believe Jeff Jarrett’s explanation about his TNA exit, or do you think the Karen Angle situation played a bigger role than he says? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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