Vince McMahon has handed in his resignation from TKO Group, the parent company of WWE, amid latest claims of sexual misconduct against him.
The firm announced his exit through an announcement released on Friday (January 26).
Vince McMahon Resigns From TKO Group
But McMahon has maintained his innocence despite stepping down, insinuating the lawsuit had not influenced his decision to resign.
In his statement, he branded the suit as nothing greater than “lies” and “obscene made-up instances.”
“I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations and look ahead to clearing my name,” he wrote, per NBC News.
“Nonetheless, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the workers and Superstars who helped make WWE into the worldwide leader it’s today, I actually have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately.”
Janel Grant, a former legal and talent department worker, filed a lawsuit against McMahon and John Laurinaitis, the previous head of talent relations.
McMahon became acquainted with Grant as they formerly lived in the identical constructing, the suit notes, per the Wall Street Journal.
Allegations About Sexual Misconduct
It’s alleged that the previous executive offered her a job at WWE shortly after Grant’s parents passed away in 2019.
But McMahon, in keeping with the suit, allegedly insinuated the job got here with specific requirements.
Grant’s docs claim that McMahon was only willing to rent her if she agreed to a sexual relationship with him. Moreover, terminating the arrangement meant losing her job.
The allegations in her court documents, per CNN, include sexual abuse and trafficking by offering her to a different well-known wrestler for intercourse.
The identity of the athlete in query was not disclosed within the court papers.
But she also accused McMahon of sharing raunchy photos and videos of her with other male employees at the corporate. This allegedly created an unfit environment for Grant to proceed working in.
The plaintiff claims that multiple men on the WWE headquarters coerced her to perform sexual acts during work hours at certain times. Laurinaitis, particularly, allegedly made her engage in intimate encounters before her shift would start.
In 2022, she claims each McMahon and Laurinaitis sexually assaulted her in one in every of the WWE offices.
The corporate allegedly let Grant go in 2022 before pressuring her into signing a non-disclosure agreement, per The Hill.
Vince Previously 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 found 4 women received “almost $15 million” over 16 years to deal with misconduct allegations, per NBC. Still, Vince was allowed to regain “control over…affairs” in the corporate.
CEO Ari Emmanuel has assured that they’re actively addressing the severe allegations internally while coping with McMahon’s abrupt exit.
“Mr. McMahon doesn’t control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE,” he said, according Deadline. “While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the corporate, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”
