Vince McMahon Reportedly Paid Four Women Millions In Hush Money
Vince McMahon might not be in a jovial mood at "WWE SmackDown" tonight, as more allegations regarding his supposed sexual indiscretions — and the money he paid to cover them up — have been published by the Wall Street Journal.
After releasing a report on June 15 claiming that McMahon paid $3 million in "hush money" to a former paralegal with whom he and John Laurinaitis allegedly had sexual relations, the Journal followed up with new exposé today that raises the number of women involved to four, at least one of whom was a wrestler, and the amount of money paid out to more than $12 million.
The wrestler alleges that McMahon "coerced her into giving him oral sex," and that she was demoted and released from the company in 2005 after refusing "further sexual encounters." McMahon bought her silence on the matter in 2018 for a payout of $7.5 million. Meanwhile, in 2008, a former WWE contractor allegedly signed a non-disclosure agreement and was paid approximately $1 million after she "presented the company with unsolicited nude photos of Mr. McMahon she reported receiving from him and alleged that he had sexually harassed her on the job." And according to the Journal's sources, another $1 million settlement in 2006 went to "a former manager who had worked 10 years for Mr. McMahon before he allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with her."
McMahon has been under a harsh spotlight since the initial allegations were reported. The WWE board of directors has reportedly launched an investigation into McMahon, who announced he was "stepping back" from his position of CEO and chairman while the investigation was ongoing, but that he would still be in control of his creative duties. McMahon then made several public appearances, both on WWE programming and at the latest UFC 276 fight. Meanwhile, New York Magazine released an article on June 27 in which former WWE talent Mario Mancini corroborated old allegations that McMahon sexually assaulted WWE's first female referee, Rita Chatterton, back in the early 1990s, and as of June 28, eight law firms are investigating WWE for potential breach of fiduciary responsibilities to its investors in the wake of the Wall Street Journal's bombshell reporting.