WWE Lawsuit Settled Between Martha Hart and Wrestling Company
A nearly 3-year court battle involving a lawsuit between late WWE wrestler Owen Hart's widow Martha Hart and World Wrestling Entertainment has been settled, ending a long and heated legal battle.
Martha Hart initially filed the lawsuit against the wrestling company in June of 2010 over royalties and the use of her late husband's image that was centered on the DVD, "Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology," a documentary that details the life the Hart family. The DVD was released in 2009.
Both parties involved in the lawsuit revealed that they had reached a settlement Wednesday, but that the details surrounding the settlement were being kept private after an agreement between the two parties.
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Court records indicate that Martha Hart alleged that the WWE, which is owned by WWE chief executive Vince McMahon and his wife and former CEO Linda McMahon, did not provide numerous royalty payments to the Hart Family's estate for use of Owen Hart's likeness after the DVD was released.
This is not the first time that a member of the Hart family filed a lawsuit against the wrestling company.
In 1999, a short time after her husband had died, Martha sued the WWE in a wrongful death suit. She was awarded $18 million, which she used to establish the Owen Hart Foundation. The charity provides educational funding and housing for students and families in need.
Owen Hart died in the ring in 1999 during a stunt. Hart was making an unusual entrance at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. As the wrestler was being lowered into the ring from the ceiling of the stadium the harness he was using broke, causing the beloved wrestler to fall nearly 80 feet to his death during the live wresting event.
