Vince McMahon’s Netflix docuseries has raised the eyebrows of audiences and critics alike with reactions flooding on the
WWE’s one of the most controversial men. Martha Hart, the widow of the late Owen Hart, has publicly condemned the portrayal of her husband's tragic death in Netflix's Mr. McMahon docuseries. As per Martha Hart, McMahon's decision to continue the event when her husband died as he revealed in the show, is an attempt to rewrite history.
Also Read:
Jonathan Coachman reveals his reason for skipping Netflix’s Vince McMahon documentaryOwen Hart’s widow blasts Vince McMahon's claim about her husband’s death
Netflix’s recently released popular series, Mr. McMahon features Vince McMahon defending his decision to continue the 1999 WWE event where Owen fell to his death, “These people came to see a show. They didn’t come to see somebody die,” McMahon said in his docuseries. He further claimed that the death was not WWE’s fault.
Martha Hart recently released a statement via Daily Hive slamming McMahon claiming that he was trying to rewrite history, blaming WWE's negligence for hiring unqualified riggers who used improper equipment for the stunt. She added that the harness used wasn't designed for rappelling and lacked necessary safety protocols, which directly led to Owen's fatal fall.
“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,” Martha said in the statement.
She went on to add, “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.”
She further condemned the former WWE boss as according to her, it fails to mention 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.” Martha added that “Owen would not have died that night” if WWE had hired qualified riggers.
Martha also shared her disappointment that no one from the Netflix documentary team contacted her to share her perspective on Owen Hart’s death. She firmly believes that WWE and its leadership at the time are responsible for the tragedy and refuses to allow anyone, including Vince McMahon, to “rewrite that history.”. Despite the pain, she remains focused on honoring Owen’s memory through her work with the Owen Hart Foundation and the AEW Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Also Read:
"Is Vince really a mark of wrestling?": Former WWE Writer Reflects on His Experiences with Vince McMahon