Martha Hart Breaks Silence on Netflix's 'Mr. McMahon,' Calls WWE Responsible for Owen Hart's Death

Dr. Martha Hart has finally addressed the recently released Netflix docuseries, "Mr. McMahon," which debuted on September 25, 2024. Her statement came on Thursday, October 3, and follows the inclusion of her late husband, Owen Hart's tragic passing, in one of the series' six episodes.

The documentary revisits Owen Hart’s accidental death during WWE’s 1999 Over The Edge pay-per-view event, focusing on how Vince McMahon, the former WWE owner, handled the aftermath. Additionally, it touches on the subsequent lawsuit Martha Hart filed against WWE.

Dr. Hart expressed her concerns about the documentary's portrayal, issuing the following statement regarding Netflix's “Mr. McMahon”:

“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."

Hart went on to address key details about the equipment used, adding:

“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 Hart was also critical of the documentary’s creators for not reaching out to her for comment or ensuring accuracy:

“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."

Despite her frustration with the documentary, Dr. Hart emphasized her ongoing commitment to preserving Owen's legacy:

“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.”