The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the board of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is investigating an alleged secret $3 million settlement agreement made by Vince McMahon to a departing employee. The WWE Chairman also allegedly had an affair with this person.
The employee, who has since left the company, was hired as a paralegal in 2019. The agreement prevents this person from speaking about the affair.
The investigation began in April and has expanded into other nondisclosure agreements that involve misconduct claims made by other former female WWE employees about McMahon and WWE’s head of talent relations John Laurinaitis.
The board’s preliminary findings show that McMahon used personal funds for the former employees and that board members learned about the $3 million agreement through a series of anonymous emails from someone who said that the former WWE paralegal was their friend.
One email noted McMahon increased the woman’s salary from $100,000 to $200,000 after beginning a sexual relationship with her and that McMahon “gave her like a toy” to Laurinaitis.
“My friend was so scared so she quit after Vince McMahon and lawyer Jerry paid her millions of dollars to shut up,” an email to the board stated.
A WWE spokesman issued a statement saying that the company is cooperating fully with the board inquiry and that the relationship with the ex-paralegal was consensual. It was added that they are taking the allegations seriously and are dealing with them appropriately.
McMahon’s attorney Jerry McDevitt reportedly stated that the former paralegal hadn’t made any claims of harassment against McMahon and that “WWE did not pay any monies” to her “on her departure.”
Story developing ……
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