Prosecutors in New York have been talking to girls who’ve accused former WWE chairman Vince McMahon of sexual misconduct, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Over the summer season, feds executed a search warrant for McMahon’s cellphone and served him a subpoena for paperwork associated to allegations of “rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment or discrimination” towards present or former WWE workers, in keeping with the WSJ unique.
McMahon resigned from his roles inside WWE and its mum or dad firm TKO Holdings after former worker Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. He has denied the allegations, whereas the corporate has not addressed them.
“I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name,” McMahon mentioned, per WSJ.
The investigation started in 2022, when WSJ reported that McMahon paid hush money to his accusors while he was CEO. McMahon previously stepped down from WWE in July of that yr after the scandal got here to gentle.
WSJ mentioned that prosecutors had been investigating the payouts, and a grand jury subpoena sought communication between McMahon and the ladies who levied the allegations, together with Grant.
The Wall Avenue Journal additionally reported that the opposite girls named within the subpoena embody:
- A WWE contractor whom McMahon allegedly despatched unsolicited nude photographs and sexually harassed;
- A former WWE wrestler who mentioned McMahon coerced her into giving him oral intercourse;
- Former WWE referee Rita Chatterton, who publicly accused McMahon of raping her;
- A spa supervisor who mentioned McMahon assaulted her at a Southern California resort; and
- A former WWE worker who alleged the pinnacle of expertise relations on the firm on the time, John Laurinaitis, demoted her after she broke off an affair with him.
McMahon has denied Chatterton’s rape declare — “Mr. McMahon denies and always has denied raping Ms. Chatterton. And he settled the case solely to avoid the cost of litigation,” his lawyer Jerry McDevitt said — however has not addressed the opposite allegations.
Grant’s swimsuit claims that McMahon pressured or pressured Grant to have a sexual relationship with Laurinitis, and that McMahon and Laurinitis allegedly sexually assaulted Grant within the WWE workplace throughout work hours.
Edward Brennan, Laurinitis’ lawyer, seemingly corroborated claims from the lawsuit in a press release to Vice Information, however insists that his shopper is a sufferer.
“Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in Court, not the media,” Brennan told Vice News. “Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”
