The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘WWE IS A LIFELONG LEGACY FOR ME’
Stephanie McMahon takes leave of absence from WWE
STAMFORD — Stephanie McMahon, the chief brand officer of WWE, has announced a leave of absence from the sportsentertainment company to focus on her family.
“As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE,” McMahon said in a tweet Thursday afternoon to her approximately 3 million followers. “WWE is a lifelong legacy for me, and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family.”
The tweet did not provide additional information about the reasons for the leave of absence.
In response to an inquiry from Hearst Connecticut Media, WWE declined to comment Friday on McMahon’s announcement.
McMahon, the daughter of WWE co-founders Vince and Linda McMahon, has been a prominent figure at the company for many years. In her current role, she is “responsible for ensuring WWE’s global brand strength and growth across all lines of business,” and oversees the company’s brand, marketing, creative services, community relations and pop culture strategies as well as its global sales and partnerships division, according to her biography on the WWE website. She also occasionally plays a character on WWE shows. In addition, she serves on the company’s board of directors.
Her biography also notes her role as “the driving force behind WWE’s Women’s Evolution, which has given female performers an equal share of the spotlight both in and out of the ring.”
McMahon is married to Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s executive vice president of global talent strategy and development, and a 14-time world champion in the ring. Her biography says that the couple have three daughters — ages 15, 13 and 11.
Levesque underwent heart surgery last year. In an interview in March with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, he credited McMahon with helping him to survive.
“She was a rock, always is for me,” Levesque said.
As a result of his cardiac issues, Levesque told Smith that he would not wrestle again.
“As far as in-ring goes … I’m done,” he said. “First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV.”
Levesque added that that, “right now, I’m back, I’m at the office, and I’m fully focused on recruitment and development of our talent.”
In 2014, McMahon and Levesque established Connor’s Cure, a fund that supports efforts to fight pediatric cancer. In partnership with The V Foundation and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Connor’s Cure has raised $3.5 million, according to McMahon’s biography.
At the same time, Vince McMahon remains as WWE’s chief executive officer and chairman. Linda McMahon served as CEO before unsuccessful runs for U.S. Senate seats in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012. Their son and Stephanie McMahon’s brother, Shane McMahon, has also worked at the company in a number of roles including as a performer.
WWE is the producer of programs including the weekly shows Raw and SmackDown and annual events such as WrestleMania.
The company ranks as one of the largest employers in Stamford, with about 700 local employees as of the third quarter of 2021, according to the Stamford Office of Economic Development. Now headquartered at 1241 E. Main St., next to Interstate 95’s Exit 9, WWE plans to open later this year a new headquarters two miles west, at 677 Washington Blvd., in downtown Stamford.