Yesterday WrestlingDVDNews.com published the following article, linked to below, with the announcement that an Owen Hart DVD is in the works this year:
WWE Planning Owen Hart DVD & Blu-Ray Release With Documentary
We posted this news update having seen the Owen Hart DVD/Blu-ray project listed on official 2015 WWE Home Video schedules over the past few months – with a documentary stated to be its main feature.
In an effort to pay tribute to the late Owen Hart, his life and his legacy in wrestling, the decision was made to share this news with our readers yesterday, on what would have been Owen Hart’s 50th birthday. To us, that felt the most respectful way of doing it.
However, having also heard in recent months that the DVD had backing from Owen Hart’s “family”, in the same aforementioned article we made a factual error in stating that the project had the “full backing and support” of Martha Hart, widow of Owen.
Ms. Hart has since been in touch with WrestlingDVDNews.com, stating categorically that she does NOT support nor endorse the potential WWE DVD and NEVER will.
We are issuing this statement to publicly and unequivocally apologize to Martha for the undue stress yesterday’s factual error has caused her and her two children, Oje and Athena. We are also doing so in order to fully retract our previous statement.
The original article was updated immediately to reflect this upon hearing Martha’s response.
We implore all other wrestling media outlets, blogs and otherwise who picked up on the story to kindly update their coverage also and provide an update which states that neither Martha Hart nor her children are backing the WWE project whatsoever.
The Owen Hart DVD/Blu-ray is listed on schedules as we’ve reported, and there may be members of the Hart family who do support the project, hence from where the report and speculation originated, however Ms. Hart and her children are NOT included in ANY of that endorsement and we would like to make that clear moving forward.
Once again, from all of us here at WrestlingDVDNews.com, we offer our sincerest apologies to Martha Hart and her two children, Oje and Athena, for the factual error of yesterday and any pain, embarrassment and inconvenience it caused.
Ms. Hart has provided us with this statement:
“My children and I were unaware of this project until May 7, when it was brought to our attention by a friend who had read about it online. Contrary to your report, we do not back or support it in any way, nor has WWE requested our backing or support. From what little we know of the project, it seems to be another attempt to exploit Owen’s memory, and his tragic death, for commercial gain. We have resisted that kind of initiative for almost 16 years. If WWE really wanted to honor Owen’s legacy, it would just let him rest in peace.”
Ha Martha Just let WWE put Owen Hart in WWE Hall Of Fame all ready STOP hold Owen Hart back
Wow grow up Martha it’s like your into sueing people for cash over ownes name
[COMMENT REMOVED ON REQUEST]
If you’re going to donate, just donate. No need to have special reasons.
I have nothing against Martha Hart, but I don’t think she will ever understand that her late husband’s fans have been wanting some kind of greatest hits DVD or Documentary about him for ages. Martha wants us to just forget about Owen, sorry, but that will never happen! She needs to allow Owen to be put into the WWE Hall of fame also!
She doesn’t want his fans to forget him. She just doesn’t want the company that was partially responsible for his death making any money off of him. Why is that so hard to comprehend for a lot of people?
where is that boytoy idf? faster cum n defend your lover. lol
Don’t hate me because you can’t debate me
I respect Martha’s feelings, but I would still really like to have an Owen collection. The tragedy doesn’t negate his legacy.
It’s all a moot point. The WWE will go forward with this, Martha’s “opinion” be damned ’cause that’s how Vince rolls.
It sucks but Vince wants money.
Anyone who is mad towards Martha Hart is proof that wrestling fans are complete idiots. Thanks a**holes for making us all look bad.
Absolutely correct. If people want to see all the negative stereotypes of wrestling fans reenforced, all they have to do is read some of the comments on this thread.
Actually it’s the original thread that has most of the ignorant comments.
This guy is her superfanboy. should change to marthafan instead.
No, ill keep my name as Indyfan. It has nothing to do with Martha. It has to do with respect. But thanks for your irrelevent comment anyway.
Who gives a crap what she fricking thinks? Owen Hart’s legacy is far greater than her dimwitted opinion. This dvd release could be WWE’s best one yet or one of the best if they ignore one female, just one out of 3-4 billion of them. I’m 22 years old and I love ‘Wrestling’! May Owen rest in peace already and give him the respect he is due! And let Martha…’s… opinion of this DVD and Owen *finally* being inducted in the Hall of Fame come to rest as well!
Its responses like the above that fuel the idea that wrestling fans are fat virgin idiots. I think its time your parents stopped you from using the internet.
Wrestling fans aren’t owed anything in regards to Owen Hart. She lost a husband and father of her kids. Be thankful there are moments and matches you can watch of him.
I don’t blame Martha Hart on this. Anybody that would have to deal with the death of a loved one, especially a husband and father plus the way Owen died, would say the same exact thing.
I think the right thing for WWE to do here is to shelve this project. Without the consent of Martha and her family would just be disrespectful.
It depends how WWE look at it. They may look at it from the point of view that Martha, while being his wife, is not the only member of his family out there. They may justify it if the likes of Bret and his other brothers and sisters and immediate/blood family say they want to do it – in a way, why should Bret have any less say than his brother’s widow? And the bottom line is that Martha’s disapproval won’t legally be enough to stop them doing it, so the whole issue is probably academic.
Ahh because his estate was left to her and not Bret. Bret has zero say. She has all say. I respect Marthas decision and stance. Wrestling fans need get a clue.
I think you’re the one who needs to get a clue, mate. What does WWE using footage of Owen Hart that THEY own have to do withings with Owen Hart’s estate? Nothing. My point is that if Bret and his other brothers/ sisters are on board with the project, the WWE will go ahead with it on the reasoning that most of Owen’s blood family want it.
And you don’t see anything morally wrong with that? From a legal standpoint, yes, WWE owns the footage and can do whatever they want with it. But from a moral standpoint, going against the wishes of his wife is just a little sleazy. Whether Bret and the rest of the family agree with her or not, they should still respect her decision.
Me personally, I’d love to see an Owen Hart DVD/BR. However, knowing that his wife is against it just makes it all wrong. Again, my opinion.
So the guy on the other article that was flamed (who said he was friends with Martha and that she did not endorse it) was actually telling the truth? Lol!
He could well have been telling the truth. We removed many of the abusive replies to that comment.
Mistakes can be made – not known WDN to do that. So its the source that made the mistake, not the report. but I still hope that Owen’s story can be told. One day.
she will support when she sees the greens flowing in.
Actually she won’t.
Do some research before posting….
Bret Hart got over the Montreal incident 13 years later. Martha Hart, 15 years later, still hasn’t gotten over Owen going to Heaven.
Move on, Mrs. Hart.
if you truely believe those two are in any way similar you are really not that smart.
Even if the project is given the green light, I hope WWE will at least include all the memorable moments in his WWE, unlike the latest Macho Man dvd set where it left out a tonne of stuff.
I really feel bad for Martha Hart. You can tell she has not gotten over Owen’s death in the least (I know it may sound that way, but that’s not a criticism. I am not sure I could get over the death of my spouse and being forced to raise my children alone in the manner she was).
Forgiveness is part of healing and recovery. I pray that Martha one day can forgive. Not for Vince and the WWE, and certainly not so we as fans can get a DVD about her husband. But for Martha and her children.
I find it hard his children wouldn’t support the DVD and get to see their Dad and hear people’s memories of their father, but whatever she says.
Being and existing as a human means, we are born to make mistakes..nobody’s perfect..I just hope this does not mean that they skip this project.. 🙁
Also.. wwe could have pointed out, who supports and likely will contribute to the project, and not just state -family-..that way, communication errors like this would likely not happen.
Great team here on WDN, even if mistakes and errors happen.. the wrestling world would not be the same without you for sure.. 🙂
Very classy statement, Daniel. Truly a professional.
Does she not realize the WWE could give all the profits,etc for the DVD too Owen’s Foundation if possible. They be more the willing too do that with releasing this documentary on him
Martha seriously does not understand this at all. If Owen is gonna be remembered the right way and have his legacy honored then he deserved a dvd released on his life and career weather she agrees with it or not. We personally deserve that as fans not have Owen’s image, matches,etc erased by her. Wrestling was Owen’s job even if he wasn’t in love with it as much as Bret its still what he made his fame off of and it deserves too be honored and remembered correctly.
what kind of attitude of entitlement is that? we “deserve” nothing like this at all.
Oh Really. Who the f**k are you too say as well as her. That we don’t deserve a Documentary on Owen’s career and life. All she’s doing is making it look like he never excisted in the business. She’s a Greedy Bitter [REMOVED]
^Now there’s a well thought-out educated response. Very articulate and classy.
LP1 is correct. We have an image to uphold here. Keep it classy with documented sources for your responses.
I agree and disgrace with part of her statement. While WWE will undoubtedly make a profit from the project (they are still a for-profit business, after all), I think that she does not understand WWE’s and it’s fans’ view of Owen Hart’s legacy. We did not know Owen, the man. We however knew Owen Hart, the Slammy winner, The Rocket, the professional wrestler. As fans, we want to be able to enjoy and remember Owen for how we were allowed to know him. I completely respect her opinion, but also hope she can come to realize that we, to an extent, treasured her husband as part of our lives as well. And releases like this are how we honor him.
She feels WWE is directly responsible for Owens death. Why on earth would she care what the fans or WWE’s take on his career means? She lost her husband.
exactly. why would she want the WWE to make ANY money from the legacy of her husband?