In a recently filed lawsuit, Vince McMahon, the founder and now-former head of World Wrestling Entertainment, was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking a former employee. He’s reportedly under federal investigation now.
McMahon and his lawyers dispute the allegations made by Janel Grant, who filed the suit, calling them “a vindictive distortion of the truth.” This is not the first scandal that McMahon has faced; he’s settled multiple sexual assault lawsuits in the past. (The Wall Street Journal reports that McMahon continued to deny any wrongdoing, and that other women who filed suits agreed not to discuss the details as part of the settlements.) He even “retired” over them — only to return months later. That history hangs over the latest allegations, as does the question of why the WWE allowed McMahon to return in the first place.
Grant’s lawyer told News Nation that her client “wants to speak out for any other victims and eradicate this culture of corruption that has permeated every cell of the WWE.”
The reactions of other former WWE wrestlers seem to support Grant’s claim of a corrupt culture. The comments paint McMahon as someone who wielded unmatched control over his largely nonunion talent.
Among those weighing in is former WWE wrestler Maria Kanellis, who said she hoped “justice is served” in the civil suit. “Many of us experienced or heard rumors of different levels of evil for years,” she said. “Some tried to speak up to build momentum to change the culture in WWE. Many times we’ve been called bitter or crazy. Others have been paralyzed by fear.”
Ronda Rousey, the former Ultimate Fighting champion who went on to wrestle in the WWE, suggests that McMahon effectively ran the company through WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard the last time McMahon stepped away over sexual misconduct allegations. She believes that nothing would be different this time unless McMahon’s confidants also leave the company.
And the deluge didn’t stop…
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