After years of eluding cancellation by the media and criminal prosecution for a heinous amount of illegal activity that occurred by both him and his company, the former owner of the WWE and Wrestling Icon Vince McMahon has “No Chance in Hell” to avoid the most recent allegations made by a former female employee last week.
"I wanted to inform you that Vince McMahon has tendered his resignation from his positions as TKO Executive Chairman and on the TKO Board of Directors," WWE president Nick Khan told all staff in a memo obtained by multiple news sources on Friday, January 26th. "He will no longer have a role with TKO Group holdings or WWE”.
McMahon, 78, announced his resignation from TKO – the company that purchased both the WWE and UFC – after allegations of Sexual Misconduct and Sex Trafficking were made by a former employee late last month.
According to ESPN, Janel Grant, who worked in WWE's legal and talent departments, alleges in a lawsuit that McMahon forced her into a sexual relationship in order for her to obtain and keep her job and passed around pornographic pictures and videos of her to other men, including other employees.
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Brock Lesnar (center) was indirectly mentioned in the lawsuit by Grant as she
claims McMahon forced her to make explicit content in order to persuade the UFC and WWE Superstar to return to the company. @Brock._.Lesnar | Instagram
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Janel Grant filed the lawsuit naming McMahon and John Laurinaitis as
co-defendants for trafficking her out to WWE employees File Photo
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One of the many messages between Grant and McMahon that were included in the lawsuit included a text from the former CEO stating “I'm the only one who owns U and controls who I want to f— U."
Along with this message, McMahon allegedly sent explicit photos of Grant to other people in WWE, and when others at WWE expressed interest in having sex with Grant after seeing photos on his phone, McMahon allegedly texted: "She may scream and try to say NO!! Although it would be difficult to say anything with a c— down her throat."
At this time, the man who helped grow professional wrestling into the billion dollar industry it is today has continued to maintain his innocence and appears ready to battle out the claims made by Grant in a court of law.
"I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant's lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth," McMahon said in the statement. "I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name. However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately."
These claims made by Grant are very similar to the allegations made against him in 2022 which resulted in him stepping down from the WWE CEO position that same July after he paid off many female employees in the past for sexual misconduct. This resulted in his daughter Stephanie and her husband Paul “Triple H” Levesque stepping up to the role of CEOs.
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McMahon (left) receiving a "Stone Cold Stunner" from "Stone Cold"
Steve Austin during a WWE live event. @VinceMcMahon | X
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WWE started a board investigation in 2022 after it received an anonymous tip about the improper relationship and the existence of an NDA between McMahon and a female employee.
The internal investigation conducted by an outside law firm found $14.6 million in payments by McMahon was made throughout his tenure as CEO and owner of the professional wrestling company. The 67 page lawsuit against the former CEO of the WWE also claims that Grant was forced by McMahon to make a sexually explicit video and later on start a sexual relationship with a “former UFC heavyweight champion with whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract," which has now been revealed to be Brock Lesner, who was not directly named in the suit made by Grant.
Messages between Lesner — who is married to former WWE Diva Sable — and Grant were made public where he allegedly asked her to send a video of herself urinating.
Lesnar then told Grant he wanted to "set a play date" in December 2021, but a snowstorm canceled plans. McMahon also texted Grant regarding Lesnar, after he signed a new contract where McMahon allegedly texted Grant "that part of the deal was f—ing U."
Since the allegations became public, Lesnar’s planned “surprise return” to the WWE has been pushed back and may never happen because of the severity of said allegations.
McMahon is credited with revolutionizing the pro-wrestling industry and bringing it into the mainstream. The third-generation promoter purchased the then-WWF in 1982 from his father and would break a promise made to his father that he would not expand the company by buying out the competition by buying out a lot of the smaller territorial wrestling promotions, creating the World Wrestling Federation.
Two years after taking over the company from his father, McMahon went all in on his biggest idea ever, WrestleMania. The annual extravaganza – which is considered wrestling's Super Bowl – will hold its 40th edition this April in Philadelphia.
In an ironic yet highly praised move by TKO, the group has appointed former WWE superstar and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to the board of directors following the departure of McMahon.