Jeff and Karen Jarrett’s relationship was a big focus of the season seven premiere of “Dark Side of the Ring,” centered around Jeff’s co-founding of TNA, and the various power struggles in the corporate through the years. When Karen was first introduced in TNA, nonetheless, she was still married to Kurt Angle, and played a giant part in her then-husband’s initial storylines in the corporate in 2007.
The Jarretts spoke about Karen’s inclusion during an episode of Jeff’s “My World” podcast. Jeff said that it was Vince Russo who had a superb relationship with Angle, and believed in Karen’s on-screen abilities, despite her relationship with Angle crumbling in real life.
“Russo saw the charisma and said, ‘Hey, why don’t we put her on the show?'” Jeff said.
Karen said it went against every little thing Jeff was raised on within the industry. His father was within the mindset that you just keep your spouse away from the business. To achieve success, you had to maintain your spouse at home, she explained. She said she remembered Russo being one hundred pc for her being on the show, and it was only purported to be for a number of episodes, but become more.
“I used to be so nervous. I threw up backstage,” Karen said. “It wasn’t fun to me, but I feel at that cut-off date in life, and the character that I got to play, I used to be capable of release a whole lot of emotions that I could not release in real life. So, I used to be capable of play that out through a personality, then it became fun. Once I set to work with Velvet Sky and the Beautiful People, it really became fun.”
In case you use any quotes from this text, please credit “My World with Jeff Jarrett” and supply a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.