Diana Hart

Early Life and Family Background

Diana Joyce Hart was born on October 8, 1963, in Calgary, Alberta, as the twelfth and youngest child of Stu and Helen Hart. She was the second-to-last child born to the couple, growing up in the sprawling Hart family home that also housed the infamous wrestling training basement known as the 'Dungeon'. Her heritage is a mix of Greek, through her maternal grandmother, and Irish, through her maternal grandfather, the long-distance runner Harry Smith. Her father Stu's ancestry was primarily Ulster Scot with additional Scottish and English roots, making the Hart family a mosaic of immigrant backgrounds in Canada. Through her mother Helen, who was born in New York State, Hart automatically gained United States citizenship, making her a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. from birth. Growing up with eleven older siblings, Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross, and Owen, meant her childhood was defined by the chaotic, competitive, and physically demanding atmosphere of a household dedicated to professional wrestling. This environment provided not only a deep familiarity with the sport's mechanics but also with the intense personal and business pressures that would later inform her writing and public commentary.

Involvement in Professional Wrestling

Diana Hart's on-screen involvement in professional wrestling, while not as an active competitor, was significant and often placed her at the centre of major family storylines. Her first documented appearance was in her father's Calgary-based promotion, Stampede Wrestling, in August 1989. This angle was part of a heated rivalry between her husband, Davey Boy Smith (the British Bulldog), and his storyline brother, Johnny Smith, which escalated when her brother Owen Hart became involved following Johnny's disrespect towards the Hart family. She reappeared in the 1999 revival of Stampede Wrestling in a storyline where she refused to present a championship belt to a wrestler who had insulted her family, leading to an attack that was stopped by the intervention of her teenage son, Harry Smith.

She was in attendance at SummerSlam 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, where her husband defeated her brother Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship in the main event. After the match, she embraced both men in a symbolic gesture of family unity. At SummerSlam 1994, she sat ringside as her brothers Bret and Owen Hart wrestled inside a steel cage for the WWF Championship. In 1995, she accompanied Davey Boy Smith to the ring for his WWF Championship match against Bret at the In Your House: Season's Beatings pay-per-view. A particularly controversial WWF storyline began in April 1996, where Hart claimed she had been sexually assaulted by Shawn Michaels backstage at an In Your House event, a tactic to unsettle Michaels before her husband's title shot. This culminated in an in-ring promo on Monday Night Raw where Hart slapped Michaels, sparking a brawl between Michaels and Davey Boy Smith.

Hart's involvement continued with key faction appearances. In July 1997, she accompanied the Hart Foundation (comprising Bret, Owen, Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, and Brian Pillman) to the ring for their victorious match against Stone Cold Steve Austin's team at In Your House: Canadian Stampede. Two months later, she was at ringside at the WWF One Night Only pay-per-view in England, where her husband lost the WWF European Championship to Shawn Michaels. She returned to WWE television in May 2002 for an interview on WWE Confidential discussing the recent death of her ex-husband. At WrestleMania XXVI in 2010, she served as a lumberjack in the No Holds Barred match between Bret Hart and Mr. McMahon, ultimately siding with her brother. She has also been present for WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies, appearing with all her living siblings for her father Stu's induction in 2010 and alongside her children to accept the posthumous induction of Davey Boy Smith in 2021.

Diana Hart has worked for Hart Legacy Wrestling, which is managed by her relatives and their associates. She appeared on the first ever HLW event in 2013 together with all her living siblings except Bret. She also appeared at the Hopes & Ropes charity fundraiser in 2016 where she signed copies of her book Cauliflower Heart: A Romantic Wrestler. Her work with the promotion includes gym training for younger students and promotional work for the shows.

Writing Career

Hart's writing career emerged from personal tragedy and her unique familial position, leading to works that blend memoir, exposé, and fiction. Her first and most notorious publication was the 2001 autobiography Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family. Written in the emotional aftermath of her brother Owen Hart's 1999 death during a WWE pay-per-view event, the book promised to reveal alleged secrets and conflicts within the Hart family. The publication immediately sparked intense controversy and legal threats, most notably from Owen's widow, Martha Hart, who intended to sue over its content, leading to the book being withdrawn from circulation. Hart later publicly disowned the published version, stating the stories were completely twisted and changed from her original manuscript and expressing deep regret for the pain it caused her family. Her brother Bret Hart further complicated the narrative by questioning her claim that she was unaware of the book's final content before publication.

In the 2010s, Hart shifted her literary focus to fiction, authoring a trilogy of romance novels under the collective title Cauliflower Heart. The series centres on a female protagonist born into a wrestling family, clearly drawing from Hart's own experiences. The first book, Cauliflower Heart: A Romantic Wrestler, was released in 2014 and earned a silver medal award in the Sports Fiction category from Reader's Favorite while also placing as a runner-up in the genre-based books category at the Hollywood Book Festival. The second instalment, Cauliflower Heart: Wrestling With Life, was released on October 7, 2016, and the third and final book, Cauliflower Heart: She Who Laughs Last, followed on February 17, 2017. Hart has actively promoted these novels at wrestling conventions and charity events, such as the 2016 Hopes & Ropes fundraiser, and in media interviews, establishing a second act as an author of wrestling-themed fiction. In a 2015 interview, she stated her intention to write the trilogy, framing it as a creative project that allowed her to explore familiar themes in a new format.

Documentary Appearances and Media Work

Hart's life and insights have been featured in numerous documentary films and television segments about the Hart family and professional wrestling. Her perspective is also included in other family-focused documentaries such as Surviving the Dungeon: The Legacy of Stu Hart and the comprehensive Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology. She appears in the documentary Hart Still Beating, which focuses on her eldest brother Smith Hart and her nephew Matt. Hart is the central subject of the 2017 shoot documentary Queen of Harts: The Diana Hart Story, which examines her own life and experiences. Beyond documentary work, Hart maintained a separate career in modelling for two decades in Calgary, a pursuit that culminated in her being crowned Mrs. Calgary Stampede in 1997. This title recognized her community involvement and public profile within the city, and her media work demonstrates a consistent effort to shape and participate in the narrative surrounding her famous family.

Personal Life and Family Matters

Hart's personal life has been inextricably linked to professional wrestling. She met English wrestler Davey Boy Smith in 1981 when he began training under her father in the Hart Dungeon. They married on October 7, 1984, a day before her 21st birthday, and the couple had two children: Harry Smith (born August 2, 1985) and Georgia Smith (born September 26, 1987). Their son Harry followed both parents into the business, becoming a professional wrestler who has performed for WWE and other promotions, while her daughter Georgia has maintained a more private life. The marriage ended in 2000 when the couple filed for divorce, though they were not formally divorced at the time of their separation as both had begun new relationships. In her autobiography, Hart expressed a strong interest in genealogy and family history research, a hobby that connects to her complex family tree. In a significant business decision related to her family's legacy, Hart sold the rights to the British Bulldog wrestling trademark to her son Harry in 2015, ensuring the intellectual property associated with her ex-husband remained within the immediate family for future use in the industry.

Honours, Awards, and Recognition

Diana Hart's status as a member of the Hart wrestling dynasty has been formally recognized by the Canadian wrestling community through hall of fame inductions. In 2001, she was inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of the Hart family contingent, honouring the collective impact of Stu Hart and his children on the national wrestling landscape. A decade later, in 2010, she was inducted into the Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, a regional promotion based in Alberta that honours local contributors to the sport. Her literary work has also received critical recognition, as her first novel, Cauliflower Heart: A Romantic Wrestler, won a silver medal from Reader's Favorite and was a runner-up at the Hollywood Book Festival. These honours reflect her dual contributions as a family representative within wrestling's historical record and as an author who has created fiction inspired by that same world.

Publications and Media Appearances Summary

Diana Hart wrote a controversial autobiography entitled Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family. She later wrote a trilogy of romance novels entitled Cauliflower Heart, with the first book released in 2014. Hart has appeared in several documentaries, including Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows and Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology. She is the subject of the 2017 shoot documentary Queen of Harts: The Diana Hart Story. Hart worked as a model for 20 years in Calgary.

Questions about Diana Hart

What is Diana Hart's book 'Under the Mat' about and why was it controversial?

Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family is Diana Hart's 2001 autobiography, written after the 1999 death of her brother Owen Hart. It promised to reveal alleged secrets and conflicts within the Hart family. The book was immediately met with fierce family opposition, most notably from Owen's widow, Martha Hart, who intended to sue over its content, forcing its removal from publication. Hart later disowned the published version, claiming it twisted her original stories and caused significant pain within her family, a point her brother Bret Hart publicly contested by questioning her awareness of the final content.

What is the 'Cauliflower Heart' book series?

Cauliflower Heart is a trilogy of romance novels written by Diana Hart, published between 2014 and 2017. The series follows a woman born into a wrestling family, a premise drawn from Hart's own life. The first book, A Romantic Wrestler, earned a silver medal from Reader's Favorite and was a runner-up at the Hollywood Book Festival. The sequels are Wrestling With Life (2016) and She Who Laughs Last (2017). Hart has promoted these books at wrestling events and charity fundraisers like the 2016 Hopes & Ropes event.

Is Diana Hart in the WWE Hall of Fame?

Diana Hart is not individually in the WWE Hall of Fame. She appeared at her father Stu's Hall of Fame induction in 2010 with all her living siblings. She also appeared alongside her children to accept the posthumous Hall of Fame induction of her ex-husband Davey Boy Smith as part of the class of 2020. She is in the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame class of 2001 and the Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame class of 2010.

Who are Diana Hart's parents and siblings?

Diana Hart's parents are Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and his wife Helen. She is their youngest daughter and was the second to last child born to the couple. She is a member of the famous Hart wrestling family and grew up with eleven siblings. Her siblings are Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross and Owen. Her maternal grandmother was of Greek descent and her maternal grandfather was Irish long distance runner Harry Smith. Her father Stu had mainly Ulster Scot descent with Scottish and English ancestry.

Did Diana Hart ever wrestle professionally?

Diana Hart did not wrestle professionally but made numerous wrestling related appearances as a valet and personality. Her first notable appearance was in her father's Stampede Wrestling promotion in August 1989 during a rivalry involving her husband Davey Boy Smith and her brother Owen Hart. She appeared in World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment storylines, most notably in 1996 where she claimed she was sexually assaulted by Shawn Michaels as part of a storyline to play mind games. She accompanied the Hart Foundation at In Your House: Canadian Stampede in 1997 and appeared as a lumberjack at WrestleMania XXVI. She also worked for Hart Legacy Wrestling, appearing at its first event in 2013.

Was Diana Hart married to a wrestler?

Yes, Diana Hart was married to wrestler Davey Boy Smith, also known as The British Bulldog. They met in 1981 when Smith was training under her father Stu Hart. The couple married on October 7, 1984, one day before Diana's 21st birthday. They had two children together, a son named Harry born in 1985 and a daughter named Georgia born in 1987. They remained married until 2000 when the couple filed for divorce, though they were not formally divorced at the time of their split as both had begun new relationships. In 2015, Hart sold the rights to the British Bulldog wrestling trademark to her son Harry.

Sources and further reading

• Diana Hart (Wikipedia)
• Official Diana Hart: Home (officialdianahart.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-02.