Mötley Crüe’s wild lifestyle in the ‘80s and ‘90s was filled with parties, chaos, and controversy. In the middle of it all was Sharise Ruddell, a former mud wrestler and model who became Vince Neil’s wife at the peak of his fame.
From Small-Town Girl to Hollywood Mud Wrestler
Sharise Ruddell was born in 1964 in Huntington Beach, California. Her father, Gary Ruddell, worked in construction, and her mother, Shirley Ruddell, was a housewife. She grew up with three siblings: Gary Lee Ruddell, Greg Ruddell, and Shanae Ruddell.
At 19, she moved to Los Angeles to chase a modeling career. While trying to break into the industry, she worked small gigs, appeared in magazines, and even became a ring girl. But her real claim to fame started at the Hollywood Tropicana Club. It was a nightclub known for mud wrestling shows.
Meeting Vince Neil and Life with Mötley Crüe
One of the club’s regulars was Vince Neil. He was drawn to the club’s wild atmosphere and, more importantly, to Sharise. The two started dating and, in April 1987, they got married.
During their time together, Sharise appeared in the music video for ‘Girls, Girls, Girls,’ one of Mötley Crüe’s biggest hits. The couple lived a fast and flashy life, but things changed when their daughter, Skylar Lynnae Neil, was born on March 26, 1991.
Just two years after Skylar’s birth, Vince and Sharise’s marriage fell apart. They divorced in 1993. Two years later, their lives took a devastating turn when Skylar was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer in children.
Despite medical treatments, Skylar passed away on August 15, 1995, at just four years old. Vince Neil later wrote ‘Skylar’s Song’ in her memory and started the Skylar Neil Memorial Fund to raise awareness and money for childhood illnesses.
The Incident That Sparked a Feud Between Vince Neil and Axl Rose
While Sharise was married to Vince, she became the center of a major rock feud between Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses.
In 1988, at a well-known Sunset Strip nightclub, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin allegedly harassed Sharise. According to her, Stradlin grabbed her shirt and pulled it down, despite her telling him to stop. She slapped him in response, and he karate-kicked her in the stomach.
The incident enraged Vince Neil, who waited for the right moment to get back at Stradlin. That moment came at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, where he punched Izzy Stradlin in the face after he walked off stage.
This led to an even bigger conflict with Axl Rose. He defended his bandmate. Axl publicly challenged Vince to a fight, and Vince fired back, saying he wanted the fight to be televised. The fight never happened despite all the talk, but the feud between the two lasted for years.
Where Is Sharise Ruddell Now?
After divorcing Vince, Sharise entered another relationship with Kirk Seigel, whom she met on a blind date. The two had a son, Colt Seigel, but their relationship also ended.
In the years that followed, Sharise shifted her focus to fashion and business. She launched her own clothing company, Na Na & Punk Polka Dots, and became a bikini designer. She also worked as a set designer and built a new life outside of the Mötley Crüe spotlight.
Today, Sharise lives in California with her son. Her estimated net worth is $900,000, though the amount of alimony she received from Vince Neil remains unknown.
