On January 25, a lawsuit was filed by Janel Grant against Vince McMahon, WWE and former executive John Laurinaitis. The lawsuit accuses McMahon of sex trafficking, emotional abuse, and sexual assault.
Martha Hart, the widow of Owen Hart, has battled WWE in court, suing the company for wrongful death in regards to how her husband died during WWF Over The Edge 1999 in a stunt gone wrong.
Martha appeared on NewsNation with Ashleigh Banfield to discuss Grant's lawsuit against Vince and WWE.
"I was a little reluctant to come on, but I thought it's such an important topic that I just want to be able to contribute," she opened with.
Asked if she was surprised by the lawsuit, Martha replied, "No, I was not surprised when I heard that there was yet another lawsuit. Over the years, WWE has had many lawsuits and a lot of bad press. I read all of the 67 pages in that complaint and it is absolutely horrific. I have to say, the level of wicknedess that is described is beyond the pale in that complaint. Anyone with a shred of humanity would find the indignant acts just incomprehensible, frankly. It wasn't a shock that there was another lawsuit, but the level of depravity certainly was. I'm a doctor in mental health and the founder and director of the Owen Hart Foundation. No matter what hat I'm wearing, I always work with at risk people. I can tell you that anyone that takes advantage of a vulnerable person is the most despicable type of person because these are people that need to be supported and protected, not exploited. By Janel Grant's own admission, she was a vulnerable person. She was unemployed, her parents had passed away, she was suffering grief, and she was on the brink of financial collapse. These are all the makings of a very vulnerable person."
Asked about her own legal battle with WWE, Martha commented, "I did go toe to toe twice with Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and their company. It was a David and Goliath battle. It was a tooth-and-nail fight. They will stop at nothing to protect themselves, for sure. They run a billion-dollar company, and in doing that, like a lot of big companies, they're able to delay cases, they're able to muddy the waters, they're able to detract and take everything away from the case at hand. In that sense, they can hire the best lawyers and they have that might on their side. A lot of times, what happens with wealthy people, their wealth, they feel, has no bounds, so then they have no boundaries, and they feel they can do anything and get away with anything."
Martha and WWE settled for $18 million in November 2000.
Asked what advice she would give Janel Grant, Hart replied, "I would say to just stay the course and her claim is very credible and I would be steadfast in my convictions and don't back down."
Hart separated herself from the wrestling business for decades before partnering with Tony Khan and AEW for the annual Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
McMahon has denied the allegations against him. He resigned from his position at TKO Executive Chairman on January 26.
Victim Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Hours: Available 24 hours
1-800-656-4673
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