Curtis Axel Charged Following Minnesota DWI Arrest

As previously reported, former WWE star Curtis Axel is facing multiple charges after his arrest in Minnesota earlier this month.

Curtis Axel, whose legal name is Joseph Curtis Hennig, debuted in WWE in 2007. He later became known for his involvement with The Nexus and The Social Outcasts before his release in 2020 as part of WWE’s COVID‑era budget cuts. He briefly returned to the company in 2022 as a producer, only to be dismissed after three months.

Following a brief comeback to wrestling in 2025, little has been publicly disclosed about Hennig’s life outside the ring. The recent development involving the former WWE star is deeply troubling.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Anoka County, Minnesota, the incident occurred on May 17, 2026, at approximately 8:47 p.m. local time, when the St. Francis Police Department responded to a property‑damage crash at a McDonald’s on Saint Francis Boulevard Northwest.

Upon arrival, officers observed Hennig’s truck moving slowly through the parking lot. When they approached, they noted signs of intoxication, including a strong alcohol odor, bloodshot and watery eyes, and slurred speech.

Police instructed Hennig to exit the vehicle, but he refused. Officers eventually removed him from the truck, forced him to the ground, and placed him in handcuffs.

The complaint alleges that after being placed in a squad car and read the Minnesota Breath Test Advisory, Hennig refused chemical testing and responded to officers with profanities and slurs.

A McDonald’s employee reported to police that Hennig appeared impaired while in the drive‑thru line, mumbling and swearing at staff. The employee also claimed that Hennig backed into another vehicle and shouted at the female driver after exiting his truck.

Before the vehicle was towed, officers conducted an inventory search and discovered an open 750 mL bottle of Philips vodka on the front passenger‑side floorboard.

Court documents indicate the offense occurred on May 17, with the case filed the next day. Judge Karen B. Schommer set conditions allowing either a $12,000 bail or an unconditional bond, or release under conditions without cash bail.

Hennig now faces five charges: refusing to submit to a chemical test while suspected of DWI (a gross misdemeanor); operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (a misdemeanor); obstructing legal process by interfering with a peace officer (a misdemeanor); violating Minnesota’s open‑bottle law (a misdemeanor); and disorderly conduct (a misdemeanor).

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