Vince McMahon has resigned as executive chairperson and from the board of World Wrestling Entertainment’s parent company, he said in an emailed statement Friday. He denied the allegations of a former employee who filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual assault and paying to keep her quiet.
“I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name,” he said in the statement. He added that he was resigning from TKO Group, the parent company of the WWE, effective immediately, out of respect for the company.
The lawsuit, filed by Janel Grant, alleges McMahon promised her career opportunities while sexually and physically abusing her, while she worked for the company and he was its CEO. It claims he attempted to sexually exploit her to men inside and outside the WWE and that he shared explicit photos and videos of her. She signed a $3 million nondisclosure agreement which McMahon stopped paying after $1 million, the lawsuit alleges.
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Grant “hopes that her lawsuit will prevent other women from being victimized,” her lawyer, Ann Callis, said.
Share this articleShare“The organization is well aware of Mr. McMahon’s history of depraved behavior, and it’s time that they take responsibility for the misconduct of its leadership,” she added.
Grant’s allegations are the latest of several leveled against McMahon in recent years. In 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that $12 million had been paid in nondisclosure agreements to women formerly affiliated with the WWE accusing him of sexual misconduct from the mid-2000s onward. He retired from the company that year but returned the following January, although not as CEO.
A spokesperson for TKO Group said Friday in an email that McMahon “does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE.”
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“While 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,” the statement said.
McMahon bought the WWE, then called the World Wrestling Federation, from his father in 1982. It merged last year with the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to form the TKO Group.
Herb Scribner contributed to this report.
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