The women who accused McMahon of sexual misconduct are being interviewed by authorities.
In the summer of 2022, it was revealed that then-long-time WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon was under investigation for using company money to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct from former employees, prompting McMahon to retire. Despite returning to the company in January last year to oversee the TKO merger, McMahon has now definitively resigner from his role as Executive Chairman following a lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant.
Earlier today, the Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon has been under investigation from federal authorities, with prosecutors in New York said to have been in contact with his accusers in recwnr months.
“Federal authorities have been investigating sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations against WWE co-founder Vince McMahon, according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors in New York in recent months have been in contact with women who have accused McMahon of sexual misconduct, the people said.”
-WSJ
McMahon thusfar has denied Grant’s allegations and said the federal probe won’t find wrongdoing, stating the following last week: “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”
The report additionally revealed that federal agents executed a search warrant for McMahon’s phone and delivered a subpoena to him over the summer.
“Over the summer, federal agents executed a search warrant for McMahon’s phone and delivered a subpoena to him for documents related to any allegation of “rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment or discrimination” against current or former WWE employees. The grand jury subpoena, described to The Wall Street Journal, offers the first window into the investigation, which began in 2022. The Journal reported in 2022 that McMahon had made payouts to several women who accused him of sexual misconduct while he was CEO and that prosecutors were investigating the payouts. The subpoena also sought communications between McMahon and these women, including Grant.”
-WSJ
Grant’s lawsuit was filed on January 25th, with the complaint containing graphic depictions of sex acts and copies of explicit text messages. McMahon resigned from his role as the Executive Chairman of the TKO Group just one day later.
The Journal also noted that Grant, along with at least four other women named in the grand jury subpoena, had entered into settlement agreements with McMahon.
“Grant and at least four of the women named in the grand jury subpoena had entered into settlement agreements with McMahon over allegations of sexual misconduct. Prosecutors have interviewed some of the women, the people said.”
-WSJ
Grant’s lawsuit claimed McMahon had agreed to pay her $3 million in 2022 to keep silent about the relationship, which she said began after they met in 2019 at his luxury apartment building, where Grant also lived, although she also noted that McMahon stopped paying her after an initial $1 million wire transfer.
The Wall Street Journal then delved deeper into the grand jury subpoena, revealing that several former WWE employees, including former referee Rita Chatterton, who publicly accused McMahon of raping her, had been named.
“The other women named in the grand jury subpoena include a WWE contractor whom McMahon allegedly sent unsolicited nude photos and sexually harassed; a former WWE wrestler who said McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex; former WWE referee Rita Chatterton, who publicly accused McMahon of raping her; a spa manager who said McMahon assaulted her at a Southern California resort; and a former WWE employee who alleged the head of talent relations at the company at the time, John Laurinaitis, demoted her after she broke off an affair with him.”
-WSJ
McMahon has long denied Chatterton’s allegations, first made publicly in televised interviews in the 1990s. He agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement in late 2022 without admitting wrongdoing, with his lawyer saying he agreed to the settlement to avoid the cost of litigation. McMahon has yet to address the allegations made by any of the other women as of writing.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on the allegations facing Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis as soon as we hear more.
