Vince McMahon Resigns From WWE Following Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Vince McMahon, media proprietor and co-founder of the modern WWE, has resigned from all of his roles at the wrestling foundation and it's parent group, the TKO Group, amid allegations of sex trafficking and sexual abuse in a recent lawsuit.
Former WWE staffer Janel Grant — who worked in the company's talent department — filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, alleging that McMahon, 78, forced her into an inappropriate sexual relationship to keep her job, in addition to offering her to another unidentified wrestling star for sex.
The complaint against World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC, Vincent K. McMahon, and John Laurinaitis, former WWE executive, talent relations, and GM of Raw and Smackdown, claims Grant was a victim of emotional and physical abuse and sexual assault, according to Newsweek.
The 67-page document claims Grant is filing this lawsuit "not just to address her own suffering, but also to act for those who are afraid to speak out."
Details from the court documents include allegations of McMahon's alleged actions, claiming McMahon would greet her in his underwear, touch her, and repeatedly ask for hugs during several WWE job offer meetings.
McMahon allegedly urged Grant, 43, to keep their closeness a secret to avoid rumors that could spark public outrage and that while he protects loyal people, he also allegedly had world-class legal sources on "speed dial" to deal with those who became a problem.
On Friday, McMahon officially resigned. According to Time, McMahon continues to deny these claims.
"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," he said in the statement. "I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name."
McMahon stepped down in July 2022 for similar accusations. However, CNN Business confirms that the case was short-lived, closing just months later in November of that year.
While McMahon is on his way out, new business ventures are rolling in for WWE. Legendary wrestler and award-winning actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is set to sit on the board of directors, raking in a $30 million dollar deal that will include ownership of his family's nickname.
Netflix announced it will be a new home for WWE Raw in 2025 with a 10-year deal valued at more than $5 billion.
