SUMMARY
- Vince McMahon is in the new after a recent lawsuit by Janel Grant highlights a lot of misdeeds the ex-CEO committed.
- Grant is not the only female that Vince reportedly mistreated.
Vince McMahon has once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In a recent lawsuit, Janel Grant, an ex-WWE employee, charged McMahon with s*x trafficking. She has claimed that throughout Vince’s tenure as WWE CEO, he both physically and s*xually mistreated her.
Vince McMahon allegedly promised Janel Grant that she would grow in her career, but instead took advantage of her. Furthermore, he used her as a human resource for other men working for the biggest professional wrestling organization globally. The lawsuit also focuses on Grant’s different exchanges with the WWE executive.
Janel Grant claimed in the lawsuit that John Laurinaitis and Vince would regularly force her in different places, including their offices. It is also said that McMahon asked her to engage in s*xual relations with multiple WWE employees. Grant said in the records that Vince sent graphic images and films of her “to men inside and outside the company.”
With regards to the new sex trafficking lawsuit:
Gifts Given to Plaintiff during Time with WWE and Association with Vince McMahon:
From 2019 until early 2022, McMahon provided Ms. Grant with “gifts” to keep her
under McMahon’s control. Upon information and belief, the gifts… pic.twitter.com/KlDjjXAwaE— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) January 25, 2024
According to reports, McMahon confined the former worker inside his office on June 23, 2021. He even went so far as to abuse her on a massage table, according to the lawsuit. Vince’s assistant allegedly gave her $15,000 in Bloomingdale’s gift cards as consolation. Even worse than it appears, Janel has shared some text messages she received from the supervisor.
Years of emotional and s*xual abuse are the subject of accusations of civil battery and deliberate infliction of mental distress. Grant also asserted that the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act was broken by McMahon and Laurinaitis. Vince McMahon assigned Grant the duty of creating personalized s*x content for a WWE star he was trying to re-sign, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit revealed the professional wrestler to be a fighter in the UFC and a celebrity in the WWE. Those with knowledge of the incident acknowledged Brock Lesnar, one of the greatest stars in the Stamford-based promotion, to be the wrestler. Grant was also informed by McMahon a prominent requirement of his new contract was to have s*x with her.
The purported celebrity also asked for sensual photos and a “play date,” but the weather forced them to postpone. Vince has been the target of similar allegations previously. However, since some of his coworkers have now been named in the case, things could grow worse for those who are close to him.
Rita Chatterton forced Vince out of the WWE with her allegations
Rita Chatterton is the first female referee employed by the WWE. In 1984, she became certified as a wrestling referee in New York. According to her, in the 1980s, she suffered s*xual abuse at the hands of former CEO Vince McMahon. Since the r*pe statute of limitations had already passed, no charges were brought against McMahon, despite her public accusations against him in 1992.
On July 16, 1986, Chatterton claimed that McMahon forced her into having s*x in his limousine. She claimed he had r*ped her after she refused. McMahon allegedly used millions of his assets to quiet women who said they had slept with him while they worked for him. McMahon stepped down as chairman and CEO in the wake of these accusations.
Christy Hemme might be one of the women Vince McMahon silenced with his money
Christy Hemme was unexpectedly released from her WWE contract in 2005. Many were taken aback by this as she was well-liked by her coworkers, eager to get better in the ring, and a familiar face on television. Hemme seemed to be the company’s best-case scenario for female talent. Hemme claims that the corporation fired her due to a lack of support from the creative team and budget cuts.
When asked repeatedly about the one incident that made her leave the company, she gave a more specific answer. “I’m a strong woman who lives by my morals, and if you ask me to do something that’s not within my morals I will say no. It was one specific incident, so I’m just gonna leave it at that, ’cause I don’t need to go into details.”. stated Hemme.
As claimed by one of the former wrestlers, Vince also paid $7.5 million to a concerned wrestler. She said that McMahon demoted her, forced her to have oral s*x with him, and then chose not to renew her contract in 2005 when she refused to have more s*x with him. In 2018, the wrestler and her attorney allegedly worked with McMahon to establish a non-disclosure agreement.
The indicated wrestler is speculated to be Christy as she was the only wrestler who was demoted. She was sent to WWE’s developmental OVW where she was promised to have a renewed contract. However, she was released from the company which created a lot of heat.
Vince McMahon also allegedly harassed Ashley Massaro
The death of former WWE superstar Ashley Massaro in 2019 was horrific. Between 2005 and 2008, Massaro performed for the WWE. During that period, she developed a romantic relationship with fellow wrestler Paul London, whom she managed alongside Brian Kendrick. London would later reveal that Vince was constantly harassing her during her time in the company.
During a podcast with Rene Dupree, Paul revealed how Ashley was forced by the boss to be in a jet with him. “Many times when she would be crying to me because Vince was propositioning her to fly on the jet with them”, stated Paul. He further stated that McMahon would also knock on her door repeatedly trying to get her answer.
“Kevin Dunn, Bucktooth Bucky, would be telling her that she has to fly on the jet with them… Every now and then, they’d always put the Divas up at like the TV hotel or whatever, he’d be knocking on her door and trying to get her to answer,”, stated Paul.
After her passing, Massaro’s attorney revealed in an affidavit that she had been s*xually r*ped in 2007 while on a WWE tour. Additionally, it was claimed that Vince McMahon asked her to stay low about the whole incident.
Vince McMahon paid $17 million in hush payments to several women
According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr. McMahon reportedly made several hush payments to four women for keeping their mouths shut. All of them signed the agreements in exchange for their silence on allegations of s*xual misconduct.
The payouts, which span at least 16 years, include a $7.5 million settlement to a former professional wrestler. With whom McMahon was accused of forcing her to have oral s*x. In another instance, McMahon agreed to pay about $1 million in 2008. The payments were made to settle the allegations from an ex-WWE contractor who accused him of s*xual harassment at the workplace.
He also paid another million dollars in exchange for silence from a former manager who made several allegations against him. McMahon also allegedly made a $3 million hush payment to a former paralegal with whom he had an affair.
After the news broke out about these hush payments in 2022, McMahon immediately stepped down from all his duties in the WWE. He returned afterward and then became the Executive Chairman of WWE after the TKO merger. With his recent lawsuit, Vince has once again damaged his reputation as well as the WWE.
Vince McMahon resigned from the TKO board following allegations
Vince McMahon’s association with WWE became a PR nightmare for the company following the allegations. Ahead of Royal Rumble 2024, one of the sponsors, Slim Jim, pulled out due to all the accusations from Janel Grant. However, the brand ultimately continued its partnership with WWE after Vince decided to resign from the TKO board.
After WWE’s merger with UFC, the two entities formed a $21.4 billion company called TKO, and McMahon had a huge role on the board alongside Dwayne Johnson. However, after the s*x trafficking lawsuit, Vince was reportedly asked to resign by other higher-ups to protect the company’s public image. Despite his exit, Vince has maintained that he is innocent and will be eager to prove it. So it will be interesting to see how things unfold.