Vince McMahon has resigned again amid allegations of sexual misconduct. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Warning: This story contains explicit allegations of sexual misconduct.)
According to Deadline, WWE founder Vince McMahon has resigned as chairman of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC, amid allegations of rape, assault and sex trafficking.
McMahon was accused of misconduct in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday by former WWE employee Janel Grant. The 78-year-old was named as a defendant alongside the WWE and John Laurinaitis, its former head of talent relations.
In his statement announcing his resignation, McMahon again denied Grant's claims but said he was stepping down out of respect for his company.
From deadline:
“I stand by my previous statement that Ms. Grant's lawsuit is full of lies and obscene fabricated incidents that never occurred and represents a vindictive distortion of the truth,” McMahon responded to the lawsuit. “I plan to vigorously defend myself against these unfounded allegations and look forward to clearing my name.”
“Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO Company and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, as well as all the employees and Superstars who have helped make WWE the global leader it is today, I “I will be resigning from my chairmanship and the TKO board effective immediately,” the WWE co-founder added.
A Statement from WWE President and TKO Director Nick Khan confirmed that McMahon will no longer play a role in the company he co-founded in 1982.
This isn't the first time McMahon has resigned amid a barrage of sexual misconduct allegations. He announced a temporary retirement in 2022 after a report accused him of paying a total of $12 million to cover up various allegations, with the amounts allegedly paid to four women. McMahon was accused of, among other things, forcing a former wrestler to give him oral sex and sexually harassing an employee.
Grant's allegations were even more disturbing.
The lawsuit, published by Deadline, alleges that McMahon coerced the 43-year-old into a sexual relationship, shared naked images of her with high-ranking WWE employees and forced her into group sex situations in which she was called a “b****.” was described. and resulted in physical injuries. These situations allegedly included crossing state lines, which led to the human trafficking lawsuit.
Grant also claimed McMahon defecated on her head during a threesome and told her not to shower for an hour and a half. In another alleged incident, McMahon and Laurinaitis were accused of sexually assaulting Grant in an office at WWE headquarters by forcing themselves on her while saying “no means yes” and “take it, bitch.”
The situation reportedly resulted in a $3 million payout to Grant in 2022 in exchange for signing an NDA. Grant is now seeking to rescind that NDA, saying she has only received $1 million from McMahon so far. The lawsuit includes screenshots of texts that allegedly came from McMahon.
The lawsuit and McMahon's resignation came at a crucial time for TKO, which announced a $5 billion deal with Netflix on Tuesday and has scheduled one of WWE's most high-profile events, “Royal Rumble,” for Saturday.