WWE’s former boss Vince McMahon resigned from his position as CEO of the federation after being accused of s*xual assault and tr*fficking by a former employee at the company. He was accused of tr*fficking Janel Grant to entice wrestling talent and also pressured her into a physical relationship with promises of a job, along with executive John Laurinaitis.
Though McMahon resigned from his position after a huge brand refused to advertise during WWE’s Royal Rumble, he is reportedly still running the company from the shadows. Wrestler Ronda Rousey revealed McMCahon was still on the decision chair through WWE executive director of the creative team Bruce Prichard.
Why Did Vince McMahon Resign From The WWE?
The CEO and co-founder of WWE Vince McMahon resigned from his position recently after being accused of s*xual assault and tr*fficking by Janel Grant, a former employee of the company. Grant alleged that McMahon and another executive John Laurinaitis, s*xually assaulted her and trafficked her to attract talent.
Grant reportedly approached McMahon for employment opportunities as she was unemployed at the time and was dealing with her parents’ bankruptcy. She was reportedly pressured to start a physical relationship with the now-former CEO in exchange for work. Grant then began working at the WWE headquarters in Connecticut.
Vince McMahon denied the claims, and according to The Wrap, was said to have resigned after sponsor Slim Jim paused their advertising on the show. McMahon released a statement after his resignation. According to BBC, he said,
“I stand by my prior statement that Ms Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth…Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars…I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately.”
However, Vince McMahon’s resignation reportedly does not mean he is out for good, as professional wrestler Ronda Rousey made a serious claim that McMahon’s cronies were still there to do his bidding.
Ronda Rousey Claims Vince McMahon Still Operates From The Shadows
After Vince McMahon resigned from his position as CEO of WWE and the board at TKO Group Holdings, professional wrestler Ronda Rousey claimed that he would never really leave as his cronies were still working in the company, allowing him to operate from the shadows and still be in charge.
Ronda Rousey, in a post uploaded on X (former Twitter), brought up the executive director of WWE’s creative team and former wrestler Bruce Prichard as one of McMahon’s pawns in the company. She said,
“Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before”
The ‘gone before’ that Rousey refers to is Vince McMahon’s resignation from WWE in 2022 after being accused of paying an ex-employee millions of dollars in a settlement after having a consensual affair. He was replaced by his daughter Stephanie McMahon as chairperson and CEO at WWE.
However, Vince McMahon returned in 2023 after mediating a deal between WWE and UFC, bringing under the same parent company, TKO Group Holdings. An investigation was done on the former CEO, but he returned after the investigation had ended. Janel Grant accused the investigation committee of being a sham and that they had swept facts under the rug.
