In April 1996, the WWF began a storyline where Hart claimed that she was sexually assaulted by Shawn Michaels backstage at in an attempt to play mind games with Michaels as her husband prepared to challenge him for the WWF Championship at . The angle culminated with an in-ring promo on an episode "Monday Night Raw" where Hart slapped Michaels, leading to a brawl between Michaels and Bulldog. When their match at In Your House led to a draw, a rematch was signed for King of the Ring 1996, which the Bulldog ultimately lost. After that, the storyline was dropped.