Bret Hart has delivered a scathing assessment of Vince McMahon, accusing the former WWE Chairman of being a predator in the wake of serious legal allegations against him. Speaking on The Rise Guys podcast, Hart offered his unvarnished opinion on the controversy surrounding McMahon.
The WWE Hall of Famer’s comments come amid a high-profile lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant against McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. The lawsuit, which alleges sexual abuse and trafficking, was allowed to proceed after a six-month stay requested by the Department of Justice expired in December 2024.
Hart did not mince words when addressing the situation involving both McMahon and Laurinaitis. “Everything that happened with John Laurinaitis and the things they were doing with that poor girl, shame on all of them. That’s just terrible,” Hart stated.
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Hart Accuses McMahon of Using Wrestling for ‘Evil’
While acknowledging his own complicated history with McMahon, Hart made it clear that the allegations represent an unforgivable line. “I’ve had all my ups and downs with Vince McMahon, and in a lot of ways, I have a lot of respect for him, but at the same time, I find what happened there inexcusable and there’s no place for that.”
Hart continued with his most pointed condemnation, framing McMahon’s entire enterprise in a sinister light. “I think Vince McMahon became a predator and used wrestling as his backdrop for all of his evil. This tells me that too much money can turn you into a bad person.”
The context of Hart’s remarks on Laurinaitis has been amplified by recent developments. In late May 2025, it was confirmed that Laurinaitis had reached a settlement with Grant and agreed to cooperate with her legal team, turning on his former boss to provide evidence against McMahon and WWE.
Hart’s relationship with McMahon has been famously tumultuous, most notably defined by the 1997 Montreal Screwjob. Hart has often spoken about punching McMahon after that incident, a detail that underscores the decades of friction and “ups and downs” he referenced.
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