Martha Hart Slams Vince McMahon’s Remarks in Netflix Docuseries on Owen Hart’s Death

Martha Hart, the widow of the late Owen Hart, has issued a powerful statement in response to Netflix’s six-part docuseries Mr. McMahon, which delves into the controversial life of former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. One of the topics discussed in the series is the tragic death of Owen Hart during the 1999 Over the Edge pay-per-view, a moment that shook the world of professional wrestling.

In the series, McMahon defended his decision to continue the event after Owen’s fatal accident, claiming, “These people came to see a show. They didn’t come to see somebody die.” McMahon also stated that Owen’s death was not WWE’s fault, but Martha Hart strongly refutes these assertions and is determined to prevent the rewriting of her husband’s history.

Martha’s statement, released via Daily Hive, expresses her frustration at the docuseries for minimizing Owen’s death and failing to acknowledge the real causes of the tragic accident. She states that WWE’s negligence, specifically their hiring of unqualified riggers, directly led to Owen’s death during the stunt.

“Netflix’s Mr. McMahon documentary series portrays the death of my husband, Owen Hart, as a mere accident. It also allows the disgraced former owner and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Vince McMahon, to claim that Owen’s death ‘wasn’t our fault.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. The real truth is that on May 23rd, 1999, out of a desire to cut costs and achieve a ‘quick release’ effect that a rigging expert specifically warned against, WWE hired unqualified riggers to arrange a stunt in which Owen was to rappel from the rafters during a wrestling event. As a result, the riggers used incorrect equipment that caused Owen to fall to his death. It was pure negligence that killed my husband.”

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“What the documentary fails to mention is that the equipment used was never meant for a rappelling stunt. Instead, a harness meant for dragging stunt people behind cars on movie shoots was used with a sailboat clip meant to release on load with only six pounds of pressure. Had the WWE hired qualified riggers who followed proper protocol that included redundancy, as is typical practice, and used the correct equipment, Owen would not have died that night.”

Martha also revealed that no one involved in the making of the documentary reached out to her for comment or to provide an accurate perspective on the incident, leaving the story incomplete and misleading. She remains resolute in holding WWE and its then-management accountable for Owen’s death.

“To be clear, no one involved in the making of this documentary attempted to contact me for comment or to obtain an accurate perspective. I continue to hold WWE and its then-management responsible for Owen’s death. I refuse to let Vince McMahon or anyone else rewrite that history.”

Instead of dwelling on the past, Martha emphasized her commitment to preserving Owen’s legacy through the Owen Hart Foundation and the AEW Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, ensuring that Owen’s memory lives on in a positive light.

“Instead, I remain focused on honouring Owen’s legacy through the charitable good work of the Owen Hart Foundation and via the AEW Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.”

Martha Hart’s determination to protect her husband’s legacy highlights the deep emotional scars left by his tragic death and the ongoing battle to ensure the true story is told.