The death of legendary performer Owen Hart is one of the most tragic stories in the history of professional wrestling. The former WWE superstar passed away following an accident during his entrance at the Over the Edge pay-per-view in 1999. His widow, Martha Hart, encountered some legal drama with the company afterward, and she opened up about the situation on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho .
As quoted by Wrestle Zone , Hart said that the company tried to draw the lawsuit out because they had the financial means to do so. She initially tried to sue the promotion for negligence as her husband’s accident happened as the result of a stunt he was made to perform. However, Vince McMahon and the company’s lawyers refused to hold WWE accountable.
“Vince sued me because he wanted the case moved to Connecticut. In Missouri [where Owen died] you’re allowed punitive damages but in Connecticut, you’re not. So he was worried, oh my God, there’s so much negligence here that the punitive damages are going to be through the roof. So he sued me, which was really tough because I had to actually hire lawyers in Connecticut to fight that lawsuit while I was battling the wrongful death lawsuit in Kansas City.”
According to Hart, she refused to give up in her fight against WWE because she wanted justice for her husband’s death. Her aim was to set up a charity called The Owen Hart Foundation with the proceeds she received from WWE, but she revealed that she was always going to do that, regardless of the outcome of the legal battle.
As documented by WrestlingNews.co , Hart also opened up about her current relationship with the rest of Owen’s family. She said that she isn’t close with them at all, and alleged that they didn’t help her out when she sued WWE. Hart also claimed that some members of the family went as far as to “actively work against” her during the legal battle.
The rest of the Hart family has an issue with Owen’s widow as she’s consistently refused to let him be inducted in WWE’s Hall of Fame. However, it appears as if the bad blood between both parties runs much deeper than that.
Hart’s interview with Talk Is Jericho took place before next week’s Dark Side of the Ring documentary, which promises to give a more detailed account of the story. The series has received critical acclaim for delving into some of the most tragic stories in wrestling history with a nuanced and compassionate eye.