Vince McMahon is stepping down again — and this time it really might be for good.
Just days after being named in an explosive sex trafficking lawsuit by former employee Janel Grant, the WWE boss has resigned from his wrestling company, as well as its parent company TKO Holdings.
“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,” McMahon said in a statement. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name. However, 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 who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately.”
In the lawsuit, McMahon is accused of forcing Grant into sex with colleagues — including longtime head of Talent Relations John Laurinitis — sharing nude photos of her without her consent, using sex toys named after wrestlers on her, and defecating on her during a forced threesome.
McMahon previously stepped down from WWE in July 2022 after an alleged hush money payment scandal came to light.
“Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE,” TKO CEO Ari Emanuel said. “While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”
McMahon’s profile on the WWE website has also been removed.
