To this day, Hennig endures knee problems as a result of a serious ring injury. His son, Curt, died on February 10, 2003 of acute cocaine intoxication. Curt left Hennig and Irene with four grandchildren. After the highly publicized death of Chris Benoit and his son, Hennig shared a few words with USA Today regarding premature deaths in professional wrestling, and the friendship of Mark Linn-Baker and Larry Sweeney. He also spoke extensively about his son and his favorite Honky Tonk Man matches on the retrospective DVD set The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect, released by WWE in September 2008.