Vince McMahon Announces Resignation Amid Trafficking Lawsuit

Vince McMahon has handed in his resignation from TKO Group, the mother or father firm of WWE, amid new claims of sexual misconduct in opposition to him.

The agency introduced his exit by way of a press release launched on Friday (January 26).

Vince McMahon Resigns From TKO Group

However McMahon has maintained his innocence regardless of stepping down, insinuating the lawsuit had not influenced his choice to resign.

In his assertion, he branded the swimsuit as nothing greater than “lies” and “obscene made-up cases.”

“I intend to vigorously defend myself in opposition to these baseless accusations and sit up for clearing my identify,” he wrote, per NBC Information.

“Nonetheless, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO enterprise and its board members and shareholders, companions and constituents, and the entire staff and Superstars who helped make WWE into the worldwide chief it’s right now, I’ve determined to resign from my govt chairmanship and the TKO board of administrators, efficient instantly.”

Janel Grant, a former authorized and expertise division worker, filed a lawsuit in opposition to McMahon and John Laurinaitis, the previous head of expertise relations.

McMahon turned accustomed to Grant as they previously lived in the identical constructing, the swimsuit notes, per the Wall Road Journal.

Allegations About Sexual Misconduct

It’s alleged that the previous govt provided her a job at WWE shortly after Grant’s mother and father handed away in 2019.

However McMahon, in line with the swimsuit, allegedly insinuated the job got here with particular necessities.

Grant’s docs declare that McMahon was solely prepared to rent her if she agreed to a sexual relationship with him. Moreover, terminating the association meant shedding her job.

The allegations in her court docket paperwork, per CNN, embody sexual abuse and trafficking by providing her to a different well-known wrestler for intercourse.

The id of the athlete in query was not disclosed within the court docket papers.

However she additionally accused McMahon of sharing raunchy photographs and movies of her with different male staff on the firm. This allegedly created an unfit surroundings for Grant to proceed working in.

The plaintiff claims that a number of males on the WWE headquarters coerced her to carry out sexual acts throughout work hours at sure instances. Laurinaitis, specifically, allegedly made her have interaction in intimate encounters earlier than her shift would begin.

In 2022, she claims each McMahon and Laurinaitis sexually assaulted her in one of many WWE workplaces.

The corporate allegedly let Grant go in 2022 earlier than pressuring her into signing a non-disclosure settlement, per The Hill.

Vince Beforehand Stepped Down As CEO Of WWE

That very same 12 months, in July, Vince retired as CEO of WWE amid an investigation into sexual misconduct. In November, the corporate’s investigation discovered 4 girls obtained “virtually $15 million” over 16 years to handle misconduct allegations, per NBC. Nonetheless, Vince was allowed to regain “management over…affairs” within the firm.

CEO Ari Emmanuel has assured that they’re actively addressing the extreme allegations internally whereas coping with McMahon’s abrupt exit.

“Mr. McMahon doesn’t management TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE,” he mentioned, in accordance Deadline. “Whereas this matter pre-dates our TKO govt group’s tenure on the firm, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very significantly and are addressing this matter internally.”

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