WWE investigating claims CEO McMahon paid $3M in hush money

(The Hill) — The WWE has released a probe into allegations that CEO Vince McMahon paid out $3 million in hush dollars to a previous personnel to hold quiet about an affair they had.

The Wall Avenue Journal reported Wednesday that the wrestling promotion’s board of administrators launched its investigation in April and uncovered that McMahon applied his own own money to spend a former female worker who signed an arrangement with him and John Laurinaitis, the corporation’s head of expertise relations. 

The WWE has hired New York-centered regulation organization Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP to carry out the investigation, in accordance to the Journal. 

The board also reportedly gained a copy of the $3 million arrangement from one particular of McMahon’s attorneys Monday. The unidentified woman personnel been given $1 million upfront from the settlement. The remaining $2 million in the agreement was distribute out in a 5-yr pay back time period, resources advised the Journal. 

The company acquired about the nondisclosure arrangement by way of anonymous e mail strategies from a good friend of the former personnel. 

According to an electronic mail, McMahon employed the unnamed lady with a $100,000 base salary but enhanced it to $200,000 when their affair began. The e mail also claimed that the personnel experienced a sexual romance with Laurinaitis, as perfectly. 

“My close friend was so worried so she stop just after Vince McMahon and lawyer Jerry compensated her hundreds of thousands of pounds to shut up,” the electronic mail to the board of directors explained, referring to McMahon’s legal professional, Jerry McDevitt. 

The 41-year-previous lady, who utilised to perform in the promotion’s authorized division, was promoted to turn into Laurinaitis’s own assistant final 12 months, the Journal claimed. 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP attorneys are also investigating WWE’s compliance and human assets programs and office tradition. 

McMahon, 76, who portrays the evil but beloved “Mr. McMahon” character on WWE programming, acquired the organization formerly known as Earth Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982 and turned it into a world phenomenon, the Journal famous, introducing lovers to popular wrestlers these types of as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan and John Cena. 

In a statement, McDevitt advised the Journal that the former personnel hadn’t created any statements of harassment in opposition to his customer, incorporating that the enterprise “did not shell out any monies” to her when she left the business. 

The Hill has reached out to WWE for comment and much more information.