Current:Home > StocksWWE's Vince McMahon resigns after being accused of sex trafficking, assault in lawsuit -AssetPath
WWE's Vince McMahon resigns after being accused of sex trafficking, assault in lawsuit
View
Date:2025-04-18 10:42:22
Note: This story contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse that may be offensive to some readers or painful to survivors of sexual assault.
Vince McMahon has resigned as executive chairman and board member of TKO Group Holdings, parent company of WWE, after a former employee accused him of sex trafficking and sexual misconduct, USA TODAY Sports confirmed.
McMahon announced he is stepping down one day after Janel Grant, a former employee at WWE headquarters, filed a lawsuit against McMahon, WWE and the company’s former head of talent relations, John Laurinaitis.
According to court documents, McMahon allegedly pushed Grant into "a physical relationship in return for long-promised employment at WWE," which involved a forced sexual relationship, sharing of private photos and videos, as well as coercing Grant into having sexual relations with other WWE staffers, including Laurinaitis.
"McMahon also subjected Grant to acts of extreme cruelty and degradation that caused Grant to disassociate and/or become numb to reality in order to survive the horrific encounters," the lawsuit states.
“I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name,” McMahon said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Friday. “However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately.”
LAWSUIT:Vince McMahon accused of sex trafficking, assault of former WWE employee he paid for NDA
The lawsuit states that in January 2022, McMahon said his wife, Linda McMahon, found out about the relationship with Grant, and he "wanted to ensure that Grant would remain silent about his personal misconduct in order to preserve his controlling interest in WWE." He advised Grant to sign a non-disclosure agreement and would pay her for it. The two sides agreed for a payment of $3 million for Grant signing the NDA, but after it was signed, Grant said she only received $1 million and didn’t receive the rest of the agreed amount.
The lawsuit asks for a ruling that the NDA is invalid under state and federal law because McMahon breached the agreement and took part in sex trafficking. The suit states Grant will prove in a trial she will need "lifelong treatment" because of the "pain and suffering" caused by McMahon.
In the statement provided to USA TODAY Sports on Friday evening, McMahon again denied the allegations.
“I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth," McMahon said.
McMahon had served as executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings, the company that owns WWE along with the UFC. He made a public appearance with the company on Tuesday when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was appointed as a board member for the company, and he rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. TKO had previously said McMahon had no part in the day-to-day operations of WWE.
The news of McMahon's departure came as "Smackdown" took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami. There was no mention of McMahon during the live broadcast, and WWE will hold its annual Royal Rumble event Saturday at Tropicana Field.
veryGood! (12)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Video shows Target store sliding down hillside in West Virginia as store is forced to close
- 'Footloose' at 40! Every song on the soundtrack, ranked (including that Kenny Loggins gem)
- Seven of 9 Los Angeles firefighters injured in truck blast have been released from a hospital
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- What is a discharge petition? How House lawmakers could force a vote on the Senate-passed foreign aid bill
- Behind the scenes of CBS News' interview with a Hamas commander in the West Bank
- Bow Wow Details Hospitalization & “Worst S--t He Went Through Amid Cough Syrup Addiction
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Amazon’s Presidents’ Day Sale Has Thousands of Deals- Get 68% off Dresses, $8 Eyeshadow, and More
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- What does Tiger Woods need to do to make the cut at the Genesis Invitational?
- Massachusetts man is found guilty of murder in the deaths of a police officer and elderly widow
- Justice Department watchdog issues blistering report on hundreds of inmate deaths in federal prisons
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Seven of 9 Los Angeles firefighters injured in truck blast have been released from a hospital
- Louisiana governor declares state of emergency due to police shortage
- 8 states restricted sex ed last year. More could join amid growing parents' rights activism
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Could Target launch a membership program? Here's who they would be competing against
A birthday party for a dying father chronicles childhood before loss in 'Tótem'
Austin Butler Makes Rare Comment on Girlfriend Kaia Gerber
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
Maine gunman says reservists were worried he was going to do something because ‘I am capable’
Caitlin Clark's scoring record reveals legacies of Lynette Woodard and Pearl Moore
Salad kit from Bristol Farms now included in listeria-related recalls as outbreak grows