Report: WWE’s Vince McMahon paid $12M in hush money to 4 women over sex allegations

Vince McMahon Jr., the longtime head of World Wrestling Entertainment, allegedly paid more than $12 million over the past 16 years to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct, according to a published report.

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The Wall Street Journal, citing documents and people “familiar with the deals,” reported that McMahon, 76, paid one former wrestler $7.5 million after she claimed he coerced her into performing sexual acts. The wrestler claimed McMahon demoted her and then declined to renew her contract when she resisted further sexual encounters, according to the newspaper.

The wrestler and her attorney reportedly negotiated a non-disclosure agreement with McMahon in 2018, ESPN reported.

The four women, all of whom were involved with WWE, signed agreements with McMahon that “prohibit them from discussing potential legal claims against or their relationships with the executive,” CNN reported.

McMahon “voluntarily stepped back” as CEO and chairman of WWE last month while the company’s board of directors investigated claims of misconduct. His daughter, Stephanie McMahon, who is also a WWE executive, replaced her father on an interim basis, WWE said in a statement. Stephanie McMahon had taken a leave of absence from the company in May.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal, citing documents and people familiar with the situation, reported that the $3 million agreement struck by McMahon was intended to prevent a departing employee, who was hired as a paralegal in 2019, from disclosing her relationship with him or making critical statements.

That woman is among the four mentioned in the new report, CNN reported.

In the latest report by the newspaper, a WWE contractor presented the company with unsolicited nude photos of McMahon she reported receiving from him. She alleged that McMahon had sexually harassed her on the job, according to the woman’s 2008 nondisclosure agreement. McMahon agreed to pay her roughly $1 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In a 2006 agreement, a former WWE manager was paid $1 million not to talk about McMahon allegedly initiating a sexual relationship with her, the newspaper reported.

The WWE did not immediately return requests for comment by The Wall Street Journal and CNN.

Despite stepping back from his executive duties, McMahon has retained his in-ring persona and continues to give input on the wrestling promotion’s creative content, CNN reported.

Days after the initial report by The Wall Street Journal, McMahon appeared on WWE’s “SmackDown” telecast, telling the audience that he was there to remind them of the “WWE signature.”

“Those four words are ‘then,’ ‘now,’ ‘forever,’ and the most important word is ‘together,’” he said. “Welcome to SmackDown!”

McMahon left the ring to the tune of his theme song, “No Chance in Hell,” CNN reported.

Three days later, McMahon appeared on “WWE Raw,” ESPN reported. Last Saturday, McMahon attended the UFC 276 event in Las Vegas with his daughter; his son-in-law, WWE executive and retired wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque; WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan; and sports media personality and WWE color commentator Pat McAfee.

The original probe, which began in April, also reportedly discovered similar pacts made with former female workers on behalf of John Laurinaitis, a former wrestler who currently manages talent relations for WWE, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Vince McMahon Jr. built WWE into a worldwide organization, shattering the former concept of “territories” that were part of a “gentlemen’s agreement” between promoters, including the World Wide Wrestling Federation (now WWE), which was founded and run by McMahon’s father, Vince McMahon Sr. Promotions such as the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Alliance and WWWF maintained territorial borders and did not infringe on other promotions.

Vince McMahon Jr. changed that during the 1980s, offering professional wrestling matches on national television and hosting major events such as WrestleMania. Stars from the WWE stable have included Hulk Hogan, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Steve Austin.

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