The widow of World Wrestling Entertainment performer Owen Hart has settled her lawsuit against the corporation over royalties and the use of her late husband's image, the Associated Press reported. Martha Hart sued in June, 2010, claiming that the WWE did not pay royalty payments owed to Owen Hart's estate and violated a contract restricting the use of his name and likeness.
Hart was killed on May 23, 1999 during a pay-per-view event during a stunt gone wrong, as his bungee slipped while being lowered from the ceiling in his introduction. The plunge caused him to fall 70 feet, striking his head on a corner buckle. Hart's family and the wrestling organization reached a reported $18 million settlement over his death in 2000, news reports said.
Three weeks after the event, the Hart family sued the WWF over how dangerous and poorly planned the stunt was, and that the harness system was defective. The lawsuit centered around the Hart & Soul DVD released by the WWE. Wednesday's announced settled was confirmed by WWE (formerly WWF) chief executive Vince McMahon and his wife and former CEO Linda McMahon had reached a settlementwith Martha Hart. The details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Martha used the money to establish the Owen Hart Foundation.
Martha wrote a book about Hart's life in 2002 called Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart.
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