Vince McMahon Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations That Led To WWE Resignation

Following the announcement that WWE had been sold to Endeavor and would merge with UFC under a new parent company, Vince McMahon appeared on CNBC with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel to discuss the sale.

After revealing his role in creative and explaining why he sold WWE to Endeavor, Vince McMahon addressed the sexual misconduct allegations and hush money payments that led to him resigning as WWE CEO and Chairman in July 2022. 

"I've made mistakes, obviously, personally and professionally through my 50-year career. I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on. I'm not sure of the legacy stuff. I'm not going to write it. I don't know. I want to say, as someone who had an extraordinary amount of fun, great passion for what they did and wound up with the biggest deal he's ever done in his life," McMahon said before pointing to Emanuel. 

When asked if he would have sold WWE if the scandal hadn't happened, McMahon added: "Absolutely. It makes sense. Nothing has ever happened like this before. I'm always looking at what's best for our stockholders and our company. This is the best thing that has happened in a long time. All the WrestleManias combined doesn't equal to the magnitude we will do together."

McMahon resigned in disgrace as WWE CEO and Chairman after sexual misconduct allegations and hush money payments came to light in the Wall Street Journal. The scandal began by revealing that McMahon had allegedly paid $3 million to a departing WWE employee he had an affair with and the payment had been agreed upon in January 2022 in exchange for the signing of a non-disclosure agreement.

McMahon initially stepped down as CEO and Chairman on an interim basis while the WWE Board of Directors investigated the allegations. Further allegations then came to light, in which it was revealed that McMahon had paid tens of millions of dollars between 2006 and 2022 to "suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity."

Along with the $3 million payment, McMahon paid $7.5 million to a former WWE talent who claimed the then-WWE Chairman "coerced her into giving oral sex." That talent was then demoted and McMahon allegedly decided not to renew her contract in 2005 after she refused to have further sexual relations with him. 

Another payment of $1 million was made to a WWE contractor who presented unsolicited nude photos of McMahon and claimed he sexually harassed her. A former manager in WWE also received $1 million to stay quiet about a sexual relationship she had with McMahon. 

As these payments had not been declared in WWE's accounts, Vince McMahon retired in July 2022 after the SEC and federal prosecutors opened investigations into the payments. 

Later in 2022, it emerged that McMahon allegedly sexually assaulted a former spa manager in a five-star resort in Southern California in 2011. McMahon also agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with former WWF referee Rita Chatterton, who accused McMahon of raping her in the back of a limousine in 1986. 

McMahon returned to WWE in January 2023, being elected as Executive Chairman by a restructured Board of Directors as he looked to facilitate a sale of WWE. That sale was completed today and McMahon will continue to be involved with WWE in his role as Executive Chairman of the new parent company. 

H/T to Fightful