The World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Board is investigating allegations that Vince McMahon paid a former employee $3 million to stay quiet about their intimate relationship in January 2022.
The former employee was hired as a paralegal representative in 2019, and the documents she signed restrict her from discussing the nature of her relationship with McMahon or speaking ill of him, according to people closest to the situation and the documents that have reportedly been located, according to The Wall Street Journal. New York-based law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has been retained to assess this situation further, and they have already discovered that there are several other nondisclosure agreements in existence which include claims of misconduct by McMahon as well as one of his top executives, John Laurinaitis.
WWE’s board is investigating an alleged $3 million payment Vince McMahon made to a former employee after the pair allegedly had an affair, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. https://t.co/r8c8XnfIiN
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 15, 2022
The investigation into McMahon’s actions was launched in April, and has already allegedly uncovered that McMahon used his personal funds to pay the former employees that he engaged in relationships with, after they agreed to sign off on the documents that were presented to them, according to The Wall Street Journal. (RELATED: Uber Paid Hackers 100K In Hush Money. Now Must Pay $148 Million To US States)
The woman alleges she was promised $3 million total from McMahon, over the course of 5 years. She claims to have received $1 million up front, and was promised the remaining $2 million. The board has stated that McMahon issued such payments from his “personal funds,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
The firm is scrutinizing the workplace culture at WWE and a spokesperson has indicated that so far, the organization has been cooperative in the investigation.
McMahon happens to also be the chair of the 12-member band, according to TMZ.