Pro wrestler Jordynne Grace has walked back a previous comment, in which she said deceased WWE superstar Chris Benoit should 'burn in hell'

• Impact pro wrestler Jordynne Grace has apologized for comments she made regarding deceased WWE wrestler Chris Benoit.
• "Maybe I'm biased because he murdered his family," she said of Benoit, who died in a 2007 murder-suicide.

Impact pro wrestler Jordynne Grace has walked back a previous comment in which she said Chris Benoit should "burn in hell."

In a statement posted to social media Monday, Grace said: "I made an irresponsible and unnecessary tweet."

The week prior, Grace — real name Patricia Forrest Parker, a 26-year-old powerlifter and pro wrestler signed to Impact Wrestling — said she doubted Benoit "could 100% hang with most of the present day best wrestlers."

'He would not be able to remember matches'

A former 22-time wrestling champion, Benoit died at age 40 in 2007 from suicide by hanging, after murdering his wife and 7-year-old son.

Depression and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a degenerative brain condition that is believed to be caused by repetitive brain trauma, or repeated concussions, and sometimes found in contact sports athletes and military personnel — were cited as contributing factors in the double-murder suicide.

"He would not be able to remember matches," said Grace last week in a tweet that has since been removed from the platform. "Also may he burn in hell, amen."

In follow-up posts that have also been removed from Twitter, Grace added: "Maybe I'm biased because he murdered his family … probably just me. I think we should all hate him and disregard his entire body of work.

"I always found it revolting to see people praise his wrestling after what he did.

"Proving a point: I said something very lightly critical about him. People jump to defend him. He should never be defended."

After further pushback from both fans and members of the wrestling community, Grace issued an apology and, after consulting with Benoit's son from another marriage, David, and fellow wrestlers Chris Jericho and Chavo Guerrero, she pledged $5,000 to the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

"Regardless of how many personal emotions influence my opinion, I should have recognized the impact my words would have on friends and family close to the situation," she said. "I was completely thoughtless in that regard."

Grace continued: "I'm acutely aware that the damage has been done. I would never intentionally add onto the suffering of those already dealing with such a traumatic event, and I am sorry for my insensitivity and aggravating this already delicate topic."

Grace is in her second reign as Impact Knockouts World Champion.

She has previously held the Impact Knockouts Tag Team title, too.