Professional wrestling is a world of heroes and villains, and no one played the part of the villain better than Ted DiBiase, "The Million Dollar Man."
When his character joined the WWF in 1987, he quickly became a fan-favorite. With his signature evil laugh and his catchphrase "Everybody's got a price," DiBiase used his character's bottomless wallet to wreak havoc on the other pro wrestlers.
It was no surprise that his career spanned decades, and included more than 30 title wins (not including his character's own title belt the "Million Dollar Championship"). Fans still remember some of his classic sketches, including the time he bribed a swimming pool owner to keep the neighborhood kids out, so he could take a dip by himself.
But while DiBiase's son Ted Jr. has carried on his father's legacy, over the past few years fans haven't seen much of The Million Dollar Man. It turns out that's exactly what he wants. A new documentary about DiBiase's life called The Price of Fame is shedding light on the sudden end to his impressive career.
It turns out The Million Dollar Man became the Million Dollar Minister...
To play his character convincingly, WWF owner Vince McMahon kept DiBiase flush with $100 bills, so he could keep up the illusion of his lavish lifestyle.
At the height of his career DiBiase was living the "sex, drugs, and pro wrestling" lifestyle that took its toll on so many other great wrestlers. While DiBiase says he was never seriously addicted to drugs and alcohol, he began to cheat on his wife Melanie while he was on tour.
A phone bill listing DiBiase's calls to the other women broke the news to his wife, and their marriage came to a crisis on the night of WrestleMania VIII in 1992. DiBiase called home, and his wife answered by saying "You don't live here anymore." Incredibly, the marriage didn't end there, and Melanie is still DiBiase's wife.
But repairing the relationship took years of counseling. During that time, DiBiase rediscovered his relationship with God, eventually becoming an ordained minister and founding his own ministry called Heart of David.
"Today I am Ted DiBiase, not the wrestler," he said in an interview for the new documentary, "but now I am a minister. I travel all over the United States basically in evangelism, speaking in churches, speaking in prisons, speaking in rehab centers wherever I can basically sharing my story of redemption and the turnaround in my life."
The Price of Fame is in theaters beginning Tuesday, November 7th.
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[H/T: Fox News]
