Martha Hart Says She’s Forgiven WWE for Owen Hart’s Death, But Calls WWE Hall of Fame “Garbage”

This week’s episode of the VICE documentary series Dark Side of the Ring will center around the tragic death of WWE legend Owen Hart. The former Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion died at the age of 34 in May 1999 at the Over The Edge pay-per-view when an equipment malfunction caused him to fall from the rafters of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City to the ring below. Hart’s widow, Martha Hart, plays a major role in the documentary and sat down with ComicBook.com prior to the episode’s release. During the interview she discussed her feelings towards WWE, revealing that she has forgiven the company for what happened.

“At the end of it all, I’ve forgiven all of them, really,” Hart said. “The Hart family, Vince McMahon, I don’t hold any grudges. I hope life has been kind to all of them. My life hasn’t been easy, and I certainly wouldn’t wish harm on anyone. I don’t have a relationship with [the rest of the Hart] family. That said, if I see them on the street or at an event, I’m always polite. I tell my kids to be polite and respectful, but the problem is with once you break the trust in a relationship. I’m really sad they couldn’t find the strength to support me. It’s unfortunate that they put their own self-interests above the welfare of me and my kids and getting justice for Owen. That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be changed and is what it is. Some damage in life is irreparable. You can’t fix it. It’s done. Again, you can forgive people, but it doesn’t mean you have to befriend them and be associated with them. At the same time, I don’t wish them any harm, and I hope their lives turned out well. That’s the casualties of war. They made their choices and have to live with them. Part of that is not having a relationship with me or Owen’s children. That was their choice, not mine.”

However she hasn’t changed her stance regarding Owen entering the WWE Hall of Fame.

“There’s always been this talk that, ‘Oh, we want to put Owen in the Hall of Fame.’ Their Hall of Fame? They don’t even have a Hallway of Fame,” Hart said. “It doesn’t exist. There’s nothing. It’s a fake entity. There’s nothing real or tangible. It’s just an event they have to make money. They put it on TV and have a celebration, and it’s just so ridiculous. I would never even entertain it. It’s garbage.”

The Hart Family has seen Bret Hart (twice), Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and Stu Hart all receive their WWE Hall of Fame inductions. Davey Boy Smith, also known as The British Bulldog, is scheduled to be the latest family member to receive the honor as a member of the Class of 2020.

The season finale of Dark Side of the Ring will air at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday night on VICE.