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The Wall Street Journal reported today that the WWE Board of Directors are investigating an alleged $3 Million payment made by Vince McMahon in January 2022 to a former WWE Employee who had a sexual relationship with him.
The WSJ report states that the "January 2022 separation agreement bars the now-former employee, who was hired as a paralegal in 2019, from discussing her relationship with Mr. McMahon or disparaging him."
The article also noted:
"The board’s investigation, which began in April, has unearthed other, older nondisclosure agreements involving claims by former female WWE employees of misconduct by Mr. McMahon and one of his top executives, John Laurinaitis, the head of talent relations at WWE, the people said. The Journal couldn’t determine how many previous agreements were being scrutinized.
The board’s outside counsel was still collecting information about the other NDAs this week but has determined that the payments totaled in the millions of dollars, the people said.
The board’s investigation, which began in April, has unearthed other, older nondisclosure agreements involving claims by former female WWE employees of misconduct by Mr. McMahon and one of his top executives, John Laurinaitis, the head of talent relations at WWE, the people said. The Journal couldn’t determine how many previous agreements were being scrutinized.
The board’s outside counsel was still collecting information about the other NDAs this week but has determined that the payments totaled in the millions of dollars, the people said."
A WWE spokesperson told WSJ they are cooperating with the investigation and that the relationship with McMahon and the former employee was consensual.
The spokesperson also stated, "the company takes the allegations seriously and is dealing with them appropriately."
Neither McMahon nor Laurinaitis returned requests for comments. WWE's longtime attorney Jerry McDevitt stated, according to the article, "that the former paralegal hadn’t made any claims of harassment against Mr. McMahon and that “WWE did not pay any monies” to the ex-employee “on her departure.”
The article states that the Board of Directors learned of the allegations when they received an email from a friend of the former employee in March. The email claimed the employee was hired with a $100,000 salary that doubled once she began a relationship with McMahon.
The WSJ report notes, "The email to the board also alleged that Mr. McMahon “gave her like a toy” to Mr. Laurinaitis. The board is investigating the allegations in the email, the people familiar with the inquiry said."
“My friend was so scared so she quit after Vince McMahon and lawyer Jerry paid her millions of dollars to shut up,” the initial email to the board stated. The Jerry would obviously be in reference to Jerry McDevitt.
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