Canadian pro wrestling legend Bret Hart has claimed that his former WWE boss, Vince McMahon, and famed rival, Shawn Michaels, were in a sexual relationship in the 1990s.
In a chat with the “Johnny I Pro Show,” the WWE Hall of Famer recalled the time when Michaels relinquished the WWE Championship in February 1997, delivering an emotional promo on “WWE Raw” in which he famously said he “lost his smile” due to a knee injury and personal demons.
According to Hart, McMahon teared up when he heard Michaels’ emotional speech, leading him to suspect that “there’s more going on between these two guys.”
“I think that Shawn and Vince were sleeping with each other. I’m just telling you, I think I’m very close to the truth here,” Hart said, via Fightful’s Ishaan Sharma.
Bret Hart’s Shocking Claims
“Shawn and Vince were lovers,” Hart continued.
“I’m being dead honest. When I look back, it’s like I got caught between two lovers, and I got shafted and screwed over and Shawn was so envious and jealous of my position that he finally had to sleep with Vince to get it.
“I would say it to Shawn if he was right here. I would actually like to have Shawn come clean and say, ‘Look, we were lovers.’ Because I’m sure they were. If I saw either Vince or Shawn here, I would say ‘I think you guys were lovers.'”
The Montreal Screwjob
Hart’s real-life issues with Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels boiled over at the 1997 Survivor Series, where McMahon and other WWE employees reportedly covertly altered the match’s outcome without his knowledge. In a screwy finish, the referee called for the bell even though Hart didn’t tap to Michaels’ submission hold.
After the controversial finish, Hart spat in McMahon’s face, destroyed broadcasting equipment and later punched the ex-WWE honcho, leaving him with a black eye. The issues between McMahon and Hart reportedly stemmed from Hart, the reigning WWE champion, signing a lucrative contract to leave WWE for WCW, its rival brand, and not dropping the title to Michaels on his way out.
In 2009, Hart appeared to bury the hatchet with Michaels and McMahon in an in-ring segment, but WWE turned that into a storyline when McMahon kicked him in the crotch, which led to a match at WrestleMania XXVI.
‘Vince Will Be a Joke’
Hart once again soured on McMahon in 2024 after the disgraced WWE founder was hit with allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and trafficking by one of his former employees, Janel Grant. Hart told Slate’s Josephine Riesman that the allegations did not surprise him, as they were on-brand with McMahon’s behavior in the 1990s.
“They sound like Vince,” Hart said of the allegations.
Hart further claimed that McMahon had destroyed his legacy.
“It’s like Jeffrey Dahmer, Harvey Weinstein, or Jeffrey Epstein: Vince will be a joke,” Hart said. “He’ll be used for humor, and you’ll shake your head at the shock value of some joke about, ‘What did Vince McMahon do?’ He’ll always be associated with this story, especially as it gets bigger and bigger and bigger.”
Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels Were ‘Lovers,’ Claims WWE Icon Bret Hart