Stepping out of ring
Heat on WWE’s McMahon over ‘$3M hush payoff’
WWE founder and CEO Vince McMahon has “voluntarily stepped back” from his positions as chief executive and chairman amid an internal investigation stemming from allegations that he paid $3 million in hush money to an employee with whom he had an affair.
The investigation also has reportedly uncovered several older agreements related to misconduct claims that other female WWE employees brought against the 76-year-old McMahon and John Laurinaitis, WWE’s head of talent relations.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the allegations.
“McMahon will retain his role and responsibilities related to WWE’s creative content during this period and remains committed to cooperating with the review underway,” the company said.
The investigation is being overseen by a special committee from within the board of directors.
McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie, will serve as interim CEO and interim chairwoman, according to the WWE.
The WWE board found out about the $3 million agreement after receiving a series of anonymous emails, according to the Journal. The emails reportedly alleged that McMahon hired a woman as a paralegal at a $100,000 salary, then bumped her pay up to $200,000 after they began a sexual relationship. McMahon also “gave her like a toy” to Laurinaitis, the reported emails said.
“My friend was so scared so she quit after Vince McMahon and lawyer Jerry paid her millions of dollars to shut up,” the person who sent the initial email reportedly wrote.
The email appears to refer to Jerry McDevitt, who works as McMahon’s attorney and did not respond to a request for comment from the Post. McDevitt wrote in a letter to the Journal that the exparalegal hadn’t accused McMahon of harassment and that “WWE did not pay any monies” to the exemployee “on her departure.”
WWE did not respond to a request for comment. A company spokesperson told the Journal that McMahon’s relationship with the paralegal was consensual.