Vince McMahon Resigns Amid Sex-Trafficking Lawsuit

Vince McMahon Resigns Amid Sex-Trafficking Lawsuit

The chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Vince McMahon, has resigned following allegations of sex trafficking made by a former employee, Janel Grant.
Grant claims that McMahon and another ex-executive, John Laurinaitis, sexually assaulted and trafficked her to attract wrestling talent.
McMahon, 78, vehemently denies the accusations, stating that Grant’s lawsuit is filled with lies and distortions.
Despite his denial, McMahon has stepped down as the executive chairman of TKO, the parent company of WWE. In a memo to staff, WWE president Nick Khan confirmed McMahon’s resignation from TKO Group holdings and WWE.

Grant, a former WWE employee, alleges that McMahon pressured her into a physical relationship, promising her a job at WWE.
The lawsuit contends that she worked at WWE’s headquarters in Connecticut from 2019 to 2022, feeling trapped in a situation where she had to comply with McMahon’s demands or face ruin.
Grant accuses McMahon of expecting and directing her to engage in sexual activity during working hours at WWE headquarters.
Additionally, she claims both defendants sexually assaulted her at WWE headquarters in June 2021.

This incident follows a 2022 investigation by the WWE board into a reported $3 million settlement between McMahon and a former employee with whom he had a consensual affair.
McMahon temporarily stepped down, replaced by his daughter as acting CEO and chairperson. He resumed his role as WWE chairperson in January 2023 after the investigation concluded.
In her recent legal filing, Grant criticized the WWE’s special committee investigation as a sham, alleging that the company attempted to downplay the matter.
McMahon, who played a pivotal role in WWE’s global expansion, oversaw its growth into a media giant with weekly content broadcast in over 180 countries and 30 languages.