Vince McMahon is the prime subject of a blockbuster report from The Wall Street Journal stating the WWE CEO secretly paid a $3 million settlement in January 2022 to a former employee with whom he had an alleged consensual affair.
WSJ reports the WWE board of directors began an investigation into the matter after it received a series of anonymous emails beginning on March 30 from someone who said they were a friend of the former WWE employee who was hired in 2019 as a paralegal.
“The January 2022 separation agreement bars the now-former employee…from discussing her relationship with Mr. McMahon or disparaging him the people [familiar with the board inquiry] said,” reports WSJ. “The board’s investigation, which began in April, has unearthed other, older nondisclosure agreements involving claims by former female WWE employees of misconduct by Mr. McMahon and one of his top executives, John Laurinaitis, the head of talent relations at WWE.
WSJ would add in relation to the alleged $3 million settlement, “The first email, sent to board members on March 30, alleged that Mr. McMahon, 76 years old, initially hired the woman at a salary of $100,000 but increased it to $200,000 after beginning a sexual relationship with her. The email to the board also alleged that Mr. McMahon ‘gave her like a toy’ to Mr. Laurinaitis. The board is investigating the allegations in the email, the people familiar with the inquiry said.”
WSJ said they received a letter regarding this matter from Jerry McDevitt, Mr. McMahon’s longtime attorney, that stated the former employee never filed any harassment claims against Mr. McMahon and, “WWE did not pay any monies” to her “on her departure.” However, those familiar with the WWE board inquiry on the matter said Mr. McDevitt negotiated the settlement deal and cited the aforementioned March 30 email which reportedly states, “My friend was so scared so she quit after Vince McMahon and lawyer Jerry paid her millions of dollars to shut up.”
Once WSJ published their report, the news quickly spread on Twitter with “Vince” eventually becoming the number one trending topic in the United States.
Here’s is what “Wrestling Twitter” had to say regarding this explosive report.
