Vince McMahon Settles Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit With Rita Chatterton

Vince McMahon agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with former WWF referee Rita Chatterton ahead of his return to WWE, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Chatterton previously accused Vince McMahon of raping her in the back of a limousine in 1986, claiming that McMahon told her to satisfy him if she wanted a $500,000 contract with the then-WWF. Before the passing of a New York law which opened a one-year window for victims of sex crimes to file lawsuits that were passed the statute of limitations, a lawyer for Chatterton demanded $11.75 million in damages from McMahon in November of 2022.

Chatterton agreed to a "lesser amount in the millions of dollars", although the exact figure is unknown. Similar to past settlements of McMahon's, Chatterton received a lump sum up-front and she will receive annual instalments.

Vince McMahon's lawyer Jerry McDevitt said: "Mr. McMahon denies and always has denied raping Ms. Chatterton. And he settled the case solely to avoid the cost of litigation."

McMahon previously filed a lawsuit against Chatterton in 1993, claiming she was induced to make a false rape charge by a wrestler with an axe to grind. The lawsuit was withdrawn in 1994 as McMahon decided to focus on the steroid trial, he claimed at the time. 

Several sexual misconduct allegations involving Vince McMahon emerged in 2022, with it being noted that he paid $14.6 million to women between 2006 and 2022 to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity. Those payments and others to the Donald Trump Foundation were not declared in WWE's accounts and led to the SEC and federal prosecutors opening investigations into McMahon which prompted his resignation as WWE CEO and Chairman in July of last year.

McMahon has since returned to WWE, though, first electing himself to the WWE Board of Directors with George Barrios and Michelle Wilson on January 5 before a restructured Board elected the 77-year-old as Executive Chairman a few days later. McMahon is currently pursuing a sale of WWE, with the likes of Comcast, Disney, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund said to be interested parties.