SUMMARY
- On May 23, 1999, Owen Hart died at the age of 34.
- In an interview, his wife made a major allegation against Vince McMahon.
Owen James Hart, also known as Owen Hart, was a well-known name in the world of pro wrestling. He made a name for himself by performing in several wrestling promotions. This includes NJPW, Stampede Wrestling, WCW, and WWF/WWE. Not to mention, he mainly rose to prominence during his tenure with Vince McMahon-led promotion, WWF/WWE, where he was known as ‘The Blue Blazer’.
Meanwhile, he is no longer present among us since he passed away tragically on May 23, 1999, during the WWF’s Over the Edge PPV event. At the time of his entrance, Hart fell from a height of approximately 78 feet and landed chest-first on the top rope. With that, he was immediately taken to Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. Unfortunately, he could not be saved, and he died as a result of his injuries.
Going forward, the cause of his death was reported to be internal bleeding. Unfortunately, he was 34 years old at the time of his death. What was more shocking was that the Stamford-based promotion continued with the PPV event, even after Hart’s untimely death. With that, now it seems Owen’s widow had a major allegation against Vince McMahon after the WWF star’s demise.
Previously, Owen Hart’s widow, Martha Hart, spoke to CBS Sports. During that, she said, “When Owen died, they scooped him out like a piece of garbage and they paraded wrestlers out to wrestle in a ring that had Owen’s blood, where the boards were broken from Owen’s fall and where the guys could feel the dip in the ring from where he fell”.
Martha further stated that the fact that WWF management didn’t stop the show even after Owen’s death was shocking. She then went on to call Vince McMahon a “poor leader” and say that he “failed.” She mentioned that WWE superstars were looking for leadership, and Vince failed them miserably. Thus, it seems Owen Hart’s widow was extremely offended by the WWF management’s decision.
Vince McMahon sued Owen Hart’s wife following his death
Owen Hart’s wife wanted justice after her husband’s unexpected death. This led to her filing a wrongful death lawsuit against WWE, and in return, Vince McMahon also sued her. Previously, Martha Hart spoke on Talk is Jericho. During that, she said, “It was the craziest thing because they had in their contract that you could only sue them in Connecticut.”
She added that she wasn’t suing the Stamford-based promotion for Owen’s contract and that it was “totally different.” Martha then revealed that Vince sued her because he wanted the case to be moved to Connecticut because punitive damages were allowed in Missouri. Hart’s widow explained that it became “really tough” since she was fighting two lawsuits simultaneously.
Thus, it seems that while Martha Hart was fighting her inner battles and coping with her loss, she also had to fight legal battles. No wonder she had major allegations against Vince McMahon after the former WWF superstar’s unexpected demise.
When did Owen Hart get married to Martha Hart?
Owen Hart and Martha Hart met each other in 1982. During this time, Martha was only 15 years old. With that, they developed a bond and later began dating. Moving forward, the couple got married on July 1, 1989. It is worth mentioning, that they also have two children together.
Also Read: Who is Owen Hart? The WWE Legend Who Inspired AEW’s Current Tournaments
Their first child, Oje Edward Hart, was born on March 5, 1992. On the other hand, their second child, Athena Christie Hart, was born on September 23, 1995. While they had a happy family, their lives suffered a heavy blow in 1999, when Owen passed away far too soon.
It is worth mentioning that Martha Hart wrote a book about her husband’s life, which is a bestseller. Apart from that, she also runs a charity in his name. Moreover, she is a philanthropist and researcher by profession. With that, it is to be seen if Owen’s widow will open up more about their relationship in the upcoming days. Till then, fans will look back on the noteworthy career of the late superstar.