Stamford, Connecticut: Wrestling icon Vince McMahon resigned from WWE's parent company a day after a former employee filed a federal lawsuit accusing him and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct, including proposing to a star wrestler for sex.
A statement said McMahon resigned from the board of directors of WWE's parent company, TKO Group. He continued to deny any wrongdoing in the wake of the lawsuit brought by Janelle Grant, who worked in the company's legal and talent departments.
WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks to the audience during a WWE Fan Appreciation Event in 2010.credit: AP
The lawsuit includes allegations that McMahon, now 78, forced Grant to perform sexual acts in exchange for work, and that they were trafficked to other men in the company. McMahon also allegedly passed pornographic photos and videos of herself to other men, including other WWE employees.
“I stand by my previous statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is full of lies and made-up outrageous facts that never happened, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth,” he said in the statement. He added: “I intend to defend myself vigorously against these baseless accusations, and I look forward to clearing my name.”
The AP does not typically name defendants in sexual assault cases, but Grant's representatives said she would like her identity to be revealed publicly. Her lawyer did not immediately have a comment.
McMahon resigned as WWE CEO in 2022 amid an investigation into allegations that match those in the lawsuit, which was filed in US District Court in Connecticut, where WWE is headquartered.
McMahon has been the leader and most recognizable face in WWE for decades. When he bought what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, wrestling matches were held in small venues and appeared on local cable channels. WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums, and the organization enjoys a large following abroad.
Last April, WWE merged with the company that runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship to create the US$21.4 billion (US$33.6 billion) sports entertainment company TKO Group Holdings, and McMahon serves as CEO of that group's board to date.
A TKO Group representative referred media inquiries about McMahon's resignation to his statement.
“Mr. McMahon neither controls TKO nor oversees the day-to-day operations of WWE,” TKO Group said earlier this week. “Although this matter predates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”
AP
