Kathryn Burrhus: Stone Cold Steve Austin’s First Wife Story

Kathryn Burrhus is the high school sweetheart and first wife of professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin. She knew Austin long before he became a global wrestling star. Their relationship began at school in Texas and lasted through college and into the early years of his wrestling career. They married on November 24, 1990. Their marriage was annulled on August 7, 1992, less than two years later. They had no children together. Since then, Burrhus has lived a private life away from public attention. Her story matters because it covers the part of Austin’s life that came before fame, before the Stone Cold character, and before the packed arenas.

Who Is Kathryn Burrhus?

Kathryn Burrhus is an American woman whose public identity rests almost entirely on one relationship. She was the teenage girlfriend, long-term partner, and first wife of Steve Austin. She did not become famous in her own right, and no reliable public record links her to a career in entertainment.

That point needs care. Many websites attach bold claims to her name, listing exact birth dates, jobs, fortunes, and current homes. Most of those claims come with no solid source. Repetition across websites does not turn a guess into a fact. The honest profile of Burrhus is shorter than the invented ones, but it is also more trustworthy.

Kathryn Burrhus Bio Table

High School Sweethearts in Edna, Texas

Burrhus and Austin met at Edna High School in Edna, Texas. Austin was a freshman at the time, and Burrhus was a junior, about two school years ahead of him. Austin later recalled that he noticed her at school and wanted to meet her.

The Tennis Court Meeting

Burrhus played tennis at school. Austin knew the tennis coach through school sports. He and a friend spent time around the tennis courts, and that gave him a chance to meet her. Austin later described her as a very smart person. Their relationship did not start in a wrestling arena or at a celebrity event. It started in everyday school life in a small Texas town.

Their bond grew from that first meeting. They kept dating through their teenage years and stayed together as they left high school and moved into adult life. Partners often attend different colleges and move to different towns after school ends, yet their relationship survived those changes for years.

The College Years

Austin played football at Wharton County Junior College, then moved to the University of North Texas on a football scholarship. He played as a linebacker at first, then switched to defensive end after a knee injury. He eventually left college just a few credits short of graduating, and his dream of a professional football career did not work out.

Burrhus attended Southwest Texas State University during the same period. That school later became Texas State University. Reports say she completed her studies while Austin pursued football, but her exact degree, major, and graduation year are not clearly documented. The couple reportedly lived together after Burrhus finished her studies, while Austin attended North Texas. Austin then left the college path, worked different jobs, and began to look seriously at professional wrestling.

Steve Austin Before the Fame

To understand Burrhus, it helps to understand the man she knew. Austin was born Steven James Anderson on December 18, 1964, in Austin, Texas, and his family later settled in Edna, Texas. At Edna High School, he played football for four years as a running back. After college football ended, he trained as a wrestler in 1986 under Chris Adams in Dallas and made his in-ring debut later that year, using the name Steve Williams.

Austin did not become a star overnight. Young wrestlers often earned little money, traveled long distances, and worked irregular schedules. They spent long stretches away from home and accepted physical risk with no promise of success. In May 1991, Austin joined World Championship Wrestling as Stunning Steve Austin and won his first WCW World Television Championship on June 3, 1991. The Stone Cold character did not exist yet. Burrhus married the wrestler at the start of that climb, not the icon at the top of it.

The Marriage on November 24, 1990

Burrhus and Austin married on November 24, 1990. The wedding came after years together, not after a short romance. It marked the formal step in a relationship that had already lasted through school and college. For Burrhus, the marriage meant sharing life with a young man who was still finding his path.

Timing shaped everything that followed. Austin was still early in his wrestling career when they married. In 1991, he joined World Championship Wrestling, which raised his national profile and took him further from home for longer periods. Wrestling at a high level shapes daily routines and travel plans, and it brings constant pressure to win better bookings and bigger matches. Austin later said that wrestling took over his life during this period, while Burrhus did not share his love for the business.

The Annulment on August 7, 1992

Burrhus and Austin’s marriage ended on August 7, 1992. The legal ending was an annulment, not a divorce. Many websites call it a divorce, but the more precise term is annulment. A divorce ends a valid marriage, while an annulment is a legal ruling that affects the marriage itself. The marriage lasted less than two years.

The end of the marriage lined up with a major change in Austin’s personal life. During this period, he pursued a relationship with Jeanie Clarke, an English wrestling manager known in the ring as Lady Blossom, whom he was working with in wrestling. Austin later married Clarke on December 18, 1992, only months after his marriage to Burrhus ended. Readers should avoid turning this timeline into a detailed emotional story. No public record gives a reliable account of private conversations between Burrhus and Austin. What the record shows is a clear sequence. A long relationship ended, a new relationship began, and a marriage closed before Austin reached stardom.

Jeanie Clarke and What Came Next

Jeanie Clarke matters to this story for two reasons. First, she became Austin’s second wife in December 1992. Second, Austin has credited Clarke with helping inspire the Stone Cold name. That story belongs to Clarke, not to Burrhus. Burrhus did not create the Stone Cold character, work as a wrestling manager, or appear in wrestling storylines. Her connection to wrestling came only through her marriage to Austin.

Austin and Clarke later had two daughters together, and Austin also adopted Clarke’s daughter from an earlier relationship. Those children belong to the Clarke chapter of Austin’s life and should never be listed as children of Burrhus. Austin and Clarke divorced in 1999, Austin later married Debra Marshall in 2000, and that marriage ended in 2003. He married Kristin Feres in 2009.

Austin’s career then took off in ways that Burrhus never witnessed as his wife. He joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1995. He became Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1996, after the famous Austin 3:16 promo at King of the Ring. He went on to win the WWF Championship six times and became a central figure of the Attitude Era. He entered the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

Life After 1992: A Private Life

Little reliable information exists about Burrhus after 1992. She gave no known interviews about Austin and published no memoir. She built no verified public social media presence. She did not use her link to a famous wrestler to launch a public career. She stepped out of view.

That absence creates a temptation for writers. It is easy to fill silence with guesses about jobs, homes, wealth, or new relationships. It is also wrong. Burrhus’s later occupation, current home, finances, and later relationships are not publicly documented. Stating any of those details as fact would require evidence that is not available.

Why People Still Search for Her

Search interest in Burrhus has lasted for decades, and the reason is simple. Austin became one of the most famous wrestlers in history. Fans naturally want to know who he was before fame and who stood beside him when his future was uncertain. Burrhus answers that question in a way no later wife can. She knew him before the character, before the titles, and before the money.

Her story also shows how fame changes relationships. A demanding career can pull two people in different directions. Travel, ambition, and new social circles can reshape a marriage. Austin became intensely public, while Burrhus stayed intensely private. When a profile offers exact facts with no source, it deserves doubt.

Common Mix-Ups to Avoid

Several errors appear again and again in online profiles of Burrhus. First, Burrhus was not a professional wrestler. She never performed in the ring or worked as a wrestling manager. Second, Burrhus did not create the Stone Cold name. Austin credited Jeanie Clarke with helping inspire that name. Third, Burrhus and Austin had no children together. Austin’s children came from his later relationship with Clarke. Fourth, Burrhus did not stay married to Austin for ten years. Their relationship lasted about a decade, but their marriage lasted less than two years. Fifth, Burrhus’s exact birth date and net worth are not reliably known. Finally, Burrhus should not be confused with Austin’s later wives.

FAQs

Who is Kathryn Burrhus?

Kathryn Burrhus is the high school sweetheart and first wife of Stone Cold Steve Austin. They married in 1990, and their marriage ended in 1992, before his rise to global wrestling fame.

How did Kathryn Burrhus meet Steve Austin?

Burrhus and Austin met at Edna High School in Texas, where she played tennis. Austin spent time around the tennis courts and met her there, starting a relationship that lasted for years.

When did Kathryn Burrhus marry Steve Austin?

Kathryn Burrhus married Steve Austin on November 24, 1990, after years of dating through school and college. At that time, Austin was still early in his professional wrestling career.

Why did Kathryn Burrhus and Steve Austin separate?

Their marriage ended as Austin’s wrestling career demanded more travel and time, while Burrhus did not share his passion for wrestling. Their marriage was annulled on August 7, 1992.

Was their marriage a divorce or an annulment?

Their marriage was annulled on August 7, 1992, rather than ended by divorce. An annulment is legally different from divorce, since it rules on the marriage itself rather than simply ending it.

Did Kathryn Burrhus and Steve Austin have children?

No, Kathryn Burrhus and Steve Austin had no children together. Austin later became a father through his second marriage to Jeanie Clarke, so those children should not be linked to Burrhus.

Was Kathryn Burrhus a wrestler or an actress?

No, Kathryn Burrhus was neither a wrestler nor an actress. She had no reliably documented entertainment career, and her public significance comes only from her marriage to Austin.

Where is Kathryn Burrhus now?

Kathryn Burrhus now lives a private life, and reliable details about her current home, job, and relationships are not publicly documented. She has given no known interviews since her marriage ended.