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    • What’s being said about Vince McMahon’s sexual abuse allegations on ‘Mr. McMahon’?
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    What’s being said about Vince McMahon’s sexual abuse allegations on ‘Mr. McMahon’?

    Vaseline Posted on

    (This story has been updated with new information.)

    Of all the stories featured in the docuseries “Mr. McMahon” about WWE founder Vince McMahon, the most interesting is the sexual abuse lawsuit filed against McMahon by a former employee of the company.

    The documentary’s six episodes explore various controversies surrounding McMahon, from steroid use to the deaths of major stars, as well as allegations of sexual abuse from decades past.

    In all cases, McMahon addresses the criticism he’s received. But when it comes to Janel Grant’s lawsuit, don’t expect to hear anything from McMahon about it on the show.

    Here’s what’s discussed on “Mr. McMahon” regarding the recent sexual abuse allegations against the wrestling figure:

    What Does Vince McMahon Say About the Sexual Assault Trial in ‘Mr. McMahon’?

    Nothing.

    During the series finale, after talk of McMahon stepping down as WWE CEO in 2022 amid an investigation into whether he paid money to a former employee to keep an affair secret, an empty chair was shown on the screen and the following message read:

    “After the allegations became public, Vince McMahon canceled his final interviews for this series.”

    That’s because almost all of the interviews done for the series took place before the lawsuit was reported in January, but it is being addressed.

    Wall Street Journal reporter Khadeeja Safdar, who first reported on the lawsuit, discusses the details of the allegations. One notable point she addresses is the allegation that McMahon used Grant as an incentive for a WWE star to re-sign with the company. Safdar says the unnamed star is Brock Lesnar, one of the biggest names in the company. Lesnar has not appeared in WWE since the lawsuit was released.

    Reporters also confirm that there was an investigation into McMahon in 2022 involving Grant.

    Was Janel Grant Interviewed for ‘Mr. McMahon’?

    Grant did not participate in “Mr. McMahon.” Ann Callis, an attorney for Grant, did not say whether Grant was asked to be part of the series, but said last week that her client “deserves the opportunity to tell her whole story, and not to be part of someone else’s.”

    After the series aired, Callis said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports that there was “no difference” between McMahon’s on-screen persona and his real self. Grant experienced his character’s “violent outbursts, sexual deviance and manipulation” while with WWE.

    “While the docuseries fully exposes McMahon’s obsession with power and control, it only scratches the surface of his criminal behavior and does not tell the full story of his abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking of Ms. Grant,” Callis said. “She deserves the opportunity to tell her story, in her own time and in her own way. We look forward to her day in court and to McMahon finally being held accountable for his actions.”

    Vince McMahon statement on ‘Mr. McMahon’

    While he did not address the recent allegations, McMahon did release a statement about the docuseries just days before its release. He said that after seeing an early, cut version of the series, it “takes the predictable path of confusing the character of ‘Mr. McMahon’ with my true self, Vince.”

    “Much has been misrepresented or omitted altogether in an attempt to deliberately confuse viewers. The producers use typical editing tricks with out of context footage and dated sound bites etc. to distort the viewer’s perception and support a misleading narrative,” McMahon said. “In an attempt to bolster their misleading narrative, the producers use a legal case based on an affair that I ended as evidence that I am in fact ‘Mr. McMahon.’ I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story.”

    USA TODAY Sports has reached out to representatives for McMahon and WWE for comment.

    What is alleged in the sexual abuse lawsuit against Vince McMahon?

    In the lawsuit, Grant said McMahon made her sign a nondisclosure agreement about their relationship for an agreed-upon sum of $3 million. However, Grant claims she never received the full payment from McMahon and is seeking to void the agreement with the lawsuit.

    Grant, who was hired by WWE in 2019, described her experiences with McMahon in detail. During her employment, Grant said she was coerced into a sexual relationship with McMahon, and that he shared explicit photos, videos and personal details of her with other WWE employees. She added that she was also coerced into sexual relationships with other WWE employees, including WWE’s former head of talent relations John Laurinaitis, who is also named in the lawsuit.

    In May 2020, the lawsuit says, McMahon began recruiting other men and coercing Grant into sex trafficking. Text messages allegedly from McMahon show him telling Grant, “I’m the only one who owns U and decides who I want (expletive) U.”

    Vaseline
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