After it was revealed that WWE CEO Vince McMahon was involved in a hush pact, it was unknown what WWE’s Board of Directors would find following an independent investigation. More details were released, this time from a separate investigation.
The Wall Street Journal, which previously reported that McMahon was involved a secret $3 million hush pact regarding an alleged affair over a former paralegal with the company, is reporting that McMahon agreed to pay “more than $12 million over the past 16 years to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity." Four women were involved in this report.
Talent relations head John Laurinaitis has also been named in the recent allegations. He has been put on administrative leave by the company following the initial report. This report also goes into detail regarding an alleged $1.5 million nondisclosure agreement reached in 2012 with an employee involving misconduct claims against Laurinaitis.
Per the WSJ, these women ”signed agreements that prohibit them from discussing potential legal claims against or their relationships.” According to the report, former WWE employees stated that McMahon's affairs were common knowledge. A spokesperson for the board's independent directors, as well as WWE, declined to comment on the matter.
One of the reported settlements, per the WSJ, was a $7.5 million pact with a former wrestler. The wrestler stated that McMahon allegedly "coerced her into giving him oral sex and then demoted her and, ultimately, declined to renew her contract in 2005 after she resisted further sexual encounters." It is unknown at the moment who this specific female wrestler is. Another settlement involved unsolicited nude photos of McMahon to a female staff member. The woman's 2008 nondisclosure agreement included that he sexually harassed her while on the job. She ended up receiving $1 million.
In 2006, McMahon allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with a former manager who worked with him for 10 years. She was also paid $1 million in hush money.
In the Wall Street Journal’s initial report, McMahon allegedly hired a woman at a $100,000 annual salary but then increased the salary to $200,000 following a sexual relationship. An anonymous email sent to the WWE Board by an alleged friend of the paralegal claimed McMahon "gave her like a toy" to Laurinaitis.
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As a result of these findings, McMahon stepped down as CEO of the company. However, he is still in charge of creative and has regularly appeared on the RAW and SmackDown TV programs since then. McMahon was last seen in the public eye at UFC 276, sitting with his daughter Stephanie, Paul “HHH” Levesque, and Nick Khan.
Stephanie has since been appointed as interim CEO and interim Chairwoman. Along with Levesque and Khan, Stephanie is a member of WWE's board. It is unknown how far back the board's investigation will be going.
