Tag: Stephanie McMahon

Even with Vince McMahon gone, the culture must change within WWE

Vince McMahon is gone from WWE, but that’s only the first of many changes needed.

Vince McMahon has been no stranger to controversy. 

He has been indicted by the federal government, sued for the wrongful death of one of his wrestlers and accused of sexual assault and the misuse of company funds to pay multiple women in exchange for their silence about their personal relationships with him.

That is why it was no surprise that Vince McMahon was listed as one of the many “Risk Factors” facing TKO, the shell company comprised of WWE and UFC, in its filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The special committee of independent members of WWE’s Board of Directors’ investigation into allegations of misconduct by Mr. McMahon, and any further allegations and investigations may have an adverse financial and operational impact on our business performance,” it reads, indicating that the company knew full well with whom it was forging a business partnership.

Not even six months after the paperwork was filed, TKO’s fears were confirmed. 

Jan. 25, 2024 will be a date that will live in wrestling infamy, as the Wall Street Journal published a story about a lawsuit that was filed against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. The allegations within the lawsuit, which features vivid details and text messages, filed on behalf of plaintiff Janel Grant are quite frankly disgusting and disturbing (MAJOR trigger warning to anyone who decides to read it), and include accusations of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

The lawsuit and the negative press that followed resulted in Vince McMahon’s resignation from all roles within TKO, removing all professional connections with WWE, the company he grew into a worldwide juggernaut.

It will serve as a fitting end for someone who used WWE as leverage against so many others — wrestlers, backstage talent, office workers — just to have it taken away from him. In reality, he was the person who needed WWE the most. 

WWE was the source of Vince McMahon’s power, which he wielded with little to no regard for the well-being of others. And while Grant’s allegations are currently just that, they are in line with the numerous experiences people have publicly revealed.

For example his own daughter, Stephanie McMahon, once disclosed on camera — during a WWE production no less— that her father once pitched the idea for her to take part in a story in which McMahon would be revealed as the father of Stephanie’s unborn child. Stephanie McMahon said she emphatically rejected the idea.

If even a portion of what has been alleged in that lawsuit is true, the only option was for McMahon to leave WWE and begin a life far from the bright lights and the adoration of wrestling fans that grew up watching his product.

However, this is not over.

Yes, McMahon, the source of all these issues, is seemingly gone for good this time. But as TKO’s own SEC filing suggests, others were aware of Vince McMahon’s past improprieties and understood how much harm they could cause the company. 

Despite this, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel said that he insisted Vince McMahon be part of the new company and that he would have “body-slammed” the wrestling promoter if he thought about doing otherwise.

In addition to the vile things that McMahon is alleged to have done to Grant personally, just as troubling was that the relationship was essentially an open secret around the company and that it was known to be emotionally, psychologically, and often physically abusive.

“WWE knew of McMahon’s illegal conduct and did nothing to stop it. This is self-evident from the numerous executive level and board members who were privy to McMahon’s involvement with Ms. Grant, as well as his prior incidents involving sexual misconduct,” the filing says.

Someone identified in the lawsuit as “WWE Corporate Officer No. 1” apparently knew of Grant before they had even met, despite them working in separate buildings and Grant working in an entry-level position, which was unusual, according to the lawsuit.

McMahon allegedly told Grant that he discussed their relationship with both “WWE Corporate Officer No. 1” and another person identified as “WWE Corporate Officer No. 2.”

“McMahon continued this conversation by detailing to Ms. Grant that they had expressed concern but were ultimately supportive. McMahon also advised Ms. Grant that one or both of WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and/or WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 inquired whether Ms. Grant could be trusted, and that McMahon offered assurances that Ms. Grant would not do something to hurt the WWE,” the lawsuit alleges.

“To further illustrate knowledge of the culture of sexual misconduct at WWE, top level executives not only failed to properly investigate abuse, but also compounded Ms. Grant’s suffering by making public statements that trivialized the harm perpetrated upon her.”

Grant’s relationship with Vince McMahon was allegedly bandied about as mere watercooler talk, according to the lawsuit. One person in particular, known in the lawsuit as “WWE Employee No. 1,” was accused of frequently making jokes about Grant and McMahon’s relationship around the office.

“WWE Employee No. 1 was a lively individual who frequently regaled the legal department with stories of others at WWE. If McMahon’s name was mentioned, WWE Employee No. 1 would turn to Ms. Grant with a smile, a finger point, and/or a comment that drew attention to her connection to McMahon – such as, ‘She knows what I’m talking about.’”

Then you have the story of the person identified as “WWE Corporate Officer No. 4,” who was also privy to Grant and McMahon’s relationship and began to treat Grant differently because of it, further isolating Grant during a time where she was in desperate need of support.

“Based on her hiring alone, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was on notice that there was something different about Ms. Grant; namely, her connection to McMahon. As Ms. Grant feared (and had expressed to McMahon), she was unhappy that a spotlight was unnecessarily put on her before she ever set foot in the office. Ms. Grant immediately noticed that WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was warm with other colleagues but cold towards her.

Beginning in July 2019, after Ms. Grant raised an issue related to XFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug Policy with McMahon, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s behavior shifted from cold to actively hostile. If Ms. Grant walked into a room while WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was laughing with colleagues, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s expression immediately became blank and WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 would walk away. If WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 and Ms. Grant walked towards each other in a hallway, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 stopped and changed directions. Colleagues noticed this shift in behavior; while some commented on it to Ms. Grant, others emulated it.”

And there are more culpable parties, including the members of the company that were allegedly willing participants (Laurinaitis and Brock Lesnar) or others who yearned to become one.

The lawsuit not only points to Vince McMahon’s pattern of abuse, it also points to a slew of people within WWE that enabled it. The toxic work environment that Grant experienced in WWE is one that Vince McMahon established, as he used fear as a means of control. According to the lawsuit, that fear extended to every level of the organization.

No matter how much influence the alleged abuser may have, there is still no excuse for knowingly allowing the ongoing abuse of one of its employees to occur. Based on what is alleged in Grant’s lawsuit alone, saying that WWE’s culture behind the scenes is unsafe would be an understatement. It is now the task of Emanuel and the rest of TKO’s brain trust, which now includes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, to remedy it.

Then maybe the healing process can begin, not just for WWE, but for the entire wrestling industry. But most importantly, the healing could begin for Grant, who according to the lawsuit, endured years of abuse after being in an extremely vulnerable point of her life.

Former WWE writer sues WWE, Vince McMahon alleging ‘racist’ story pitches

Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and several writers are named as defendants in the suit.

WWE and Vince McMahon are no strangers to lawsuits, but the one filed earlier this week in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York is a bit more explosive than most.

The official complaint, which can be viewed in full here, was filed on behalf of Britney Abrahams, a black female who was employed as a temporary writer for SmackDown and Raw beginning in November 2020. During her time with WWE, Abrahams claims she was subject to “a sufficiently severe and pervasive work environment where she was subjected to abusive comments related to race and color” until her termination on April 7, 2022 — ostensibly for taking a WrestleMania 38 souvenir chair without permission.

Abrahams names lead writer Ryan Callahan and senior writer Chris Dunn, among others, as parties responsible for “a pattern and practice of
discrimination against black female employees, African American female employees” and others.

Among Abrahams’ claims:

  • She raised objections to what she considered “offensive” dialogue written for Bianca Belair — who she says also had a problem with it — only to have Dunn put it back into the script.
  • She flagged the idea for Apollo Crews to talk in a “racially artificial Nigerian accent” as offensive, but Callahan ignored it.
  • Callahan came up with an idea for Shane Thorne to have a “hunting gimmick” that would see him hunt men instead of crocodiles, and particularly black wrestler Reggie.
  • Abrahams and another writer were asked to pitch a love storyline between Aliyah, Mansoor, and Angel Garza; when the writers suggested Mansoor could be keeping a secret from Aliyah, Callahan allegedly offered, “how about his secret is he’s behind the 9/11 attacks?”

Along with ignoring her repeated attempts to draw attention to what she felt were racist and stereotypical treatment of black employees and talent, Abrahams claims WWE made it difficult for her to find work after she was terminated due to “discrimination and defamatory statements regarding her work performance.”

As summarized by Bloomberg Law, Abrahams is seeking “reinstatement, damages, declaratory judgment, and an injunction restraining defendants from engaging in such unlawful conduct.”

Vince McMahon personally has been the subject of a number of legal actions in the wake of his 2022 sexual harassment hush money scandal, the most recent of which were filed last December. He’s also been the target of multiple lawsuits from WWE shareholders displeased with his brute force return to the company board and subsequent resumption of his executive chairman role earlier this year.

While none of the various suits appears likely to derail a company that has been reporting record-setting revenue with seemingly each big event, it is another bad look for WWE at a critical time ahead of its high profile merger with UFC and an important round of media rights negotiations.

Anyone who tells you they know what’s happening next with WWE is wrong

Vince McMahon has been the driving force behind WWE and pro wrestling for decades, and no on knows what they will be like without him.

As Friday afternoon news dumps go, the announcement that Vince McMahon was retiring from WWE is as big as it gets. Not only is the company and its product molded in his image, just about every facet of pro wrestling today, including the concept of “sports entertainment,” owes him a debt.

That’s not an exaggeration. At this point, only the oldest wrestling fans can even remember a time before Vince McMahon. The idea that he would leave not only his executive positions but his role as head of creative was so foreign that the common assumption was that he’d just hold them until he died.

And maybe he would have, if not for the explosive allegations that have dogged him for the past few months. To its credit, WWE seems like it’s in as strong a position as it’s ever been to continue and thrive without Vince McMahon in charge. Stephanie McMahon, who has literally grown up in the business, and Nick Khan, whose rise within WWE has been meteoric, to say the least, make for a formidable tandem.

But there are a number of questions about what WWE will look like going forward, and no one knows the answers right this second. For starters, who will take over Vince’s role as head of creative? The assumption is that Kevin Dunn and Bruce Prichard will run with the ball for now, but that’s not necessarily the case. Fightful Select is reporting that there were “rampant and unconfirmed rumors among talent that they expect Kevin Dunn to be the next to leave,” so it’s possible the shakeup of the creative team has just begun.

Whoever crafts WWE storylines going forward won’t have to worry about Vince McMahon looking over their shoulder either. That’s a huge change in the way things have long been done, and one that could be for better or worse.

There are other changes afoot as well. Earlier the same day as the Vince McMahon announcement, WWE revealed that Paul “Triple H” Levesque had returned to his prior position of EVP, Talent Relations. The ripple effects of that move could be significant, with Daniel Yanofsky of The Sporting News noting that it was “a clear indication” that longtime Vince McMahon confidant John Laurinaitis — who was also named in the allegations that have ensnared Vince — would be “out of the company.”

It’s also possible that some talent simply doesn’t want to find out what a Vince-less WWE is like. Numerous outlets reported that Brock Lesnar, who is supposed to be in the main event of SummerSlam at the end of the month, walked out of SmackDown once he heard the news.

That’s an indication of just how uncharted the waters are that WWE, and the business as a whole, are about to enter. There have been many references in various facets of life in 2022 about how we’re living in unprecedented times, but few are as true as they are for wrestling at this particular moment. WWE programming over the next few months could look very similar to the status quo, or it could be radically different.

The truth is that no one knows for sure, because for more than 40 years, pro wrestling has always had Vince McMahon looming large over it. All that’s left now is to sit back and watch what it means when that’s no longer the case.

Stephanie McMahon announces leave of absence from WWE

Stephanie McMahon announced on social media Thursday that she was taking a leave of absence from “the majority of my responsibilities at WWE,” effective on May 20.

Stephanie McMahon announced on social media Thursday that she was taking a leave of absence from “the majority of my responsibilities at WWE,” effective on May 20.

McMahon is currently Chief Brand Officer of WWE, a position she has held since 2013. She was previously executive vice president of creative, having progressed through a number of roles with the company since she was in her 20s.

The 45-year-old daughter of Vince McMahon is also well known to longtime WWE fans for her various on-camera roles. Over the years, she’s appeared as a manager, authority figure, and even participated in matches herself, most recently teaming with husband Triple H to take on Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34. But like Vince, Stephanie had appeared much less frequently in recent years, a far cry from the early 2000s when all four McMahons — including mother Linda and brother Shane — were fixtures on WWE television.

A mother to three daughters, McMahon’s desire to spend more time with her family would be an understandable reason to want a break from corporate life, especially given Triple H’s health scare last fall. His heart episode required the implantation of a defibrillator last September, and he announced in March that he was officially retired from in-ring competition as a result.

Nevertheless, the wrestling community is bound to be in full speculation mode about McMahon’s announcement, given that she and Triple H were long thought to be the people who would most likely guide WWE into whatever a post-Vince era would look like. With Stephanie stepping back, WWE has the least McMahon family members at the helm as it has ever had, and while her tweet makes it clear she expects to return to the fold, it’s at least fair to wonder what it would mean for the company if she doesn’t.

Gronk seems headed to WWE SmackDown, WrestleMania

Rob Gronkowski is deep in talks to return to WWE as WrestleMania approaches. The former Patriot could appear as soon as March 20.

The FOX-WWE connection seems headed toward bringing former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski back to the wrestling ring.

The WWE Backstage show on FS1 Tuesday reported Gronk was close to working out a deal with the sports-entertainment juggernaut. The show went as far as saying he could appear on SmackDown March 20, which will take place in New Orleans.

WrestleMania 36 will take place April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fl.

Ryan Satin, a reporter on the show, said the capacity Gronkowski would not be used is not known at the present time. However, he is in deep talks with the company.

This fits perfectly as WWE SmackDown appears on FOX and Gronkowski is a football analyst for the network.

Gronkowski had a role in WrestleMania 33 when he assisted his friend, Mojo Rawley, win the Andre the Giant Battle Royale. You can watch Gronk’s part in that event below.

WWE execs Triple H and Stephanie McMahon — husband and wife in real life — hung out with the former gridder at his “Beach Party” Super Bowl week.