Backstage Report On Internal WWE Reaction To Lee Fitting Controversy

In January 2024, WWE managed to secure the services of Lee Fitting to become the company's new Head of Media and Production, as well as serving as an Executive Producer on all WWE programming. Fitting had left his former position at ESPN in 2023, but a recent report claimed that Fitting was actually fired by his former employers due to allegations of misconduct that included making sexual or demeaning jokes, and inappropriate behavior.

Dave Meltzer reports in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that, while WWE itself has yet to comment on the situation, there has been some reaction to the Fitting report backstage. One person claimed that the company was fully aware of Fitting's allegations when they hired him, and that it was simply 'the baggage that comes with the hire,' while another person claimed that Fitting was no different to Vince McMahon or John Laurinaitis, both of whom had a lawsuit filed against them by Janel Grant earlier this year on the grounds of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

Meltzer also noted that this isn't the first time WWE have hired someone with a murky past, with former Executive Vice President of Development and Digital Jamie Horowitz being brought in to the company despite being fired by FOX Sports following a sexual harassment investigation. Horowitz was eventually let go in 2023 due to the TKO merger, but in this instance, Meltzer claims that Fitting's work in WWE has been highly praised, and that the company sees this as a story that will come and go, hence why he has not been punished at the time of writing. Meltzer also noted that Fitting will likely not face any repercussions, citing McMahon's exit from the company in January 2024 as an example of how he was only forced out once major sponsors wanted to sever ties with WWE.