The big news on Wednesday is that WWE’s Board of Directors are investigating a $3 million settlement that Vince McMahon agreed to pay to a former employee who he allegedly had an affair with. The Wall Street Journal is calling it a ‘hush pact.’
Several media outlets are reporting that the WWE Board of Directors has been investigating the settlement since this past April, and has uncovered nondisclosure agreements involving both Vince McMahon and head of talent relations John Laurinaitis that are said to be in the millions of dollars. The board learned of the $3 million settlement from anonymous emails received from someone identifying themselves as a friend of the former employee, which is said from several sources, a former paralegal.
The first email, which was said to have been sent to the board back on March 30, alleges that McMahon initially hired the woman as a paralegal at $100,000 a year, then later was but given a raise of up to $200,000 after McMahon began a sexual relationship with her. The email also alleges that McMahon “gave her like a toy” to Laurinaitis. The settlement, which was said to have taken place this past January, took place bars the former employee, who was hired back in 2019 from discussing her relationship with McMahon. It is being said the former employee transitioned out of WWE’s legal department in 2021 to become an assistant to Laurinaitis.
The email that was sent to the WWE Board states – “My friend was so scared so she quit after Vince McMahon and lawyer Jerry [McDevitt] paid her millions of dollars to shut up.”
WWE’s Board of Directors received a copy of the nondisclosure agreement back on June 12, shows that an upfront payment of $1 million dollars paid to the former employee, with the remaining $2 million to be made in payments over the next five years.
The Wall Street Journal report also states that investigators have learned over the past several days of other nondisclosure agreements involving McMahon and Laurinaitis.
Several media outlets are reporting that a WWE spokesman in the said the company is cooperating fully with the board’s inquiry and has said that the relationship with the ex-paralegal was consensual. In addition, media outlets are reporting WWE later issued an internal statement to staff after The Wall Street Journal’s story was published.
WWE stated the following: “The Wall Street Journal has published a report about WWE with allegations that we and our Board of Directors take seriously. We are cooperating fully with the independent investigation initiated by our Board of Directors.”
McMahon’s attorney, Jerry McDevitt, McMahon’s told the Wall Street Journal the employee had made no claims of harassment against McMahon and that “WWE did not pay monies” to the former employee “on her departure.”