Owen Hart’s Widow Issues Scathing Response To Bret Hart’s Comments About Her

And now, the response. Earlier this week, Bret Hart spoke out on his sister-in-law Martha Hart, the widow of his brother Owen, not allowing WWE to have anything to do with Owen’s legacy. Bret wasn’t happy as he wanted Owen to be remembered and honored by WWE with a Hall of Fame induction. At the moment that isn’t going to be happening and now we have a response to Bret’s comments that may explain why.

Martha responded to Bret’s comments earlier this week and did not agree with anything that Bret had to say. The main issue that Martha has in the whole situation is that she does not want WWE to benefit in any way, especially financially, from Owen’s legacy. She also spoke about the Owen Hart Foundation, which she has used to honor Owen’s memory since he died back in 1999. Here is the full statement, courtesy of NoDQ.com:

“The suggestion by Bret Hart that I am ‘erasing’ the memory of my late husband, Owen Hart, is reckless, irresponsible, and clearly untrue.

Bret’s comments are rooted in the fact that I have steadfastly refused to work with the WWE to exploit Owen’s image for commercial gain. Owen was an incredible entertainer and I know that his many fans around the world enjoyed his wrestling career immensely. I encourage them to continue to do so. But I am firm in my belief that the WWE was responsible for Owen’s death. As a result, I cannot and will not support any efforts by the WWE to profit from Owen’s memory. 

Instead, I, my son Oje and daughter Athena have worked tirelessly to honor Owen through the good works of The Owen Hart Foundation, which has exceeded $4 million in gift giving and contributions toward scholarships, home owner bursaries, and other special projects that have greatly improved the lives of so many in Canada and around the world. We have always believed that this is the most fitting public tribute to a man of profound integrity; a wonderful human being who just happened to wrestle. I know that Owen would be very proud of the tremendous accomplishments the Foundation has achieved in his name.

Bret Hart’s comments are disrespectful and cruel. It is disappointing that so many in the media have chosen to report them without seeking my perspective. Whatever Bret may believe, the fact is that, far from ‘erasing’ Owen’s memory, I have devoted the last 20 years to celebrating his life in a very public way. I can think of very few people who have been remembered so glowingly by their spouse.”

Here’s one of Owen’s best days.

Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology - Bret Hart vs. Owen

Opinion: As I said when Bret’s original comments broke, it’s really hard to argue with what Martha says when you consider where she’s been for the last nineteen years. Her husband is gone because of a stunt WWE decided he needed to do. It had nothing to do with wrestling and her world was ripped apart because of something the company did. I understand that Bret wants Owen to be remembered, but if Martha isn’t happy with that, it’s hard to really argue.

Do you think Owen will ever be in the Hall of Fame? What is your favorite Owen match? Let us know in the comments below.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his Amazon author page with 27 wrestling books. His latest book is the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volume III: From Dallas To New Orleans.

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