Former WWE leader Vince McMahon is facing legal troubles, including a lawsuit from former employee Janel Grant accusing him of sexual abuse and trafficking. McMahon denied the allegations, but is also under federal criminal investigation. Despite this, sources familiar with McMahon say he has been traveling, eating out, and keeping in touch with friends and associates, including former President Donald Trump. McMahon has not spoken to WWE leaders since his resignation, and his daughter Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, who worked alongside him for over 20 years, currently has no involvement with the company.
While McMahon is connected to WWE, he seems to have moved on and is enjoying life amidst ongoing litigation. He has returned from trips to Italy and the Turks and Caicos Islands, bringing back seven kittens and a puppy to be adopted by friends. McMahon is reportedly cooperating with authorities and believes the civil case against him will be settled out of court. He meets with his personal trainer multiple times a week and regularly goes out to eat in Manhattan. McMahon has also been in touch with former President Donald Trump and Hollywood superstars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena.
WWE has had to face controversy stemming from McMahon in the past, including legal battles related to the steroid scandal in the early 1990s and allegations of sexual misconduct in 2022. McMahon briefly stepped down as WWE’s leader but returned in early 2023 to engineer a deal that merged WWE with Endeavor Group’s UFC to form TKO. McMahon gave up majority control of WWE and became executive chairman of TKO. McMahon’s daughter and son-in-law are now publicly pushing the brand into the future, with McMahon-Levesque making an appearance at WrestleMania 40 to hail her husband’s leadership.
Since McMahon’s resignation, WWE has operated more conventionally, with a focus on improving employee morale and addressing underperformance. The company has signed lucrative media rights deals, including a $1.4 billion deal with NBCUniversal for domestic rights to “Friday Night SmackDown” and a $5 billion pact with Netflix. McMahon has sold hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of shares in TKO since November, indicating a more permanent separation from the company. WWE employees have expressed relief and a sense of stability since McMahon’s departure.
