Vince McMahon Investigation Gets Worse As Alleged Hush Money Balloons To $12 Million

Vince McMahon’s investigation for sexual misconduct and hush money payments has become far louder and messier just when it seemed to be cooling down.

Amid a string of “everything is okay” public appearances—most recently at UFC 276 alongside Pat McAfee, Triple H and Interim WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon—Vince McMahon has now been implicated in additional “hush money” scandals involving former WWE personnel and a former WWE contractor.

Per the latest bombshell report from the Wall Street Journal (h/t Wrestling Inc), the current tally is four women, who are alleging a total of over $12 million in hush money payments were made by Vince McMahon to silence alleged infidelity and sexual misconduct.

Vince McMahon Faces Allegations From Four Women

• An anonymous former WWE wrestler alleges Vince McMahon “coerced her into giving him oral sex” and was demoted and released from the company in 2005 after refusing further sexual encounters. Vince McMahon reportedly paid this individual $7.5 million to keep quiet.
• In 2008, a former WWE contractor was allegedly paid $1 million for an non-disclosure agreement (NDA) after she reportedly received unsolicited nude photos from Vince McMahon. The individual alleged McMahon sexually harassed her on the job.
• In 2006, $1 million in settlement was reportedly paid to a manager who worked for Vince McMahon for 10 years after McMahon allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with her.

WWE released an internal memo pertaining to the latest accusations:

“The Wall Street Journal has published a second story with expanded details on its initial WWE report last month,” the memo read.

“We want to reiterate that we and our Board of Directors take these allegations seriously. We’ve been cooperating fully with the investigation led by our Board of Directors and will continue to do so until its conclusion. Please note that upon its conclusion, WWE leadership will make itself available to answer any questions you may have. Thank you.”

WSJ detailed accounts of three reported incidents of sexual misconduct stemming from the original report on June 15 that McMahon paid $3 million in hush money to a former WWE paralegal.

“The Wall Street Journal has published a report about WWE with allegations that we and our Board of Directors take seriously,” said WWE last month in an internal memo. “We are cooperating fully with the independent investigation initiated by our Board of Directors.”

This, in addition to last month’s New York Magazine report with allegations of sexual assault of former WWE referee Rita Chatterton in 1986, have combined to create a vaunted “drip, drip, drip” effect that will legitimately threaten the WWE Chairman’s iron rule.

McMahon has been strategic in handling these allegations in ways that signal to the public he is scaling back his duties, while still pulling the strings behind the scenes. Last month, McMahon stepped down as WWE Chairman as the company announced Stephanie McMahon as the Interim WWE Chairwoman and CEO. Vince McMahon remained head of creative, however, and the installation of his daughter in an interim role was seen as an optics move.

With serious allegations continuing to pile up, it will become increasingly difficult for McMahon and WWE to maintain control of this situation in hopes it blows over. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair faced sexual assault allegations of his own stemming from a controversial Dark Side of the Ring episode on the “Plane Ride from Hell.” Flair was removed from WWE’s opening signature as a result of the allegations, but recently reinstated this past Monday as WWE felt enough time had passed and the situation was behind him.

With another Friday of bombshell news, Vince McMahon doesn’t seem to have that same luxury.