As a seasoned journalist with years of covering high-profile cases, I must say that this Vince McMahon saga is as shocking as it is disheartening. The allegations against him are grave, ranging from sexual assault and emotional abuse to human trafficking – accusations that no one should ever have to endure, let alone a fellow employee.
Over the course of six captivating installments, Netflix’s series Mr. McMahon delves into the past of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), shedding light on several startling events – ranging from accusations involving exploitation and sexual misconduct to deceit and mortality.
Today, September 25th, the highly-anticipated true crime documentary series has finally arrived on our streaming platform, following several years of planning and production. Originally announced by creators Chris Smith and Bill Simmons back in 2020, the project underwent a shift in focus when sexual misconduct allegations against McMahon emerged in 2022.
After this revelation, I, as a passionate fan, find myself compelled to share that Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, has filed a lawsuit against one of the co-founders of the WWE, alleging sexual assault and trafficking. Additionally, Mr. McMahon addresses these accusations while also discussing numerous questionable incidents in the history of the influential professional wrestling organization following his takeover.
Let’s take a look at the most surprising events that unfolded. If you’re new to the background story, be aware that there are potential spoilers, and some parts might be upsetting for sensitive readers.
Death in the ring
Besides the startling incidents both within and outside the ring, Mr. McMahon delves into the regrettable errors committed, suggesting that profitability of the enterprise was prioritized over all else.
As a devoted fan, I delve into Episode 4 which sheds light on the untimely demise of Owen Hart, a wrestling legend recognized by his ring names The Blue Angel and The Blue Blazer. Tragically, in May 1999, he was scheduled to execute a high-flying stunt at the Over the Edge pay-per-view event, but fate had other plans for him.
He fell down from his position too early, dropping 78 feet chest first onto the rope. McMahon – who appears in the documentary for interviews that were conducted before the allegations surfaced – says, “Thank god, for the audience, we were in a blackout. So they didn’t really see it.”
Here’s another way to phrase it: McMahon made this decision a clear example of him defending his debatable choices in the business context – he chose to proceed with the show.
Dave Meltzer, editor and founder of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, expressed that they should not have proceeded with the show. In simpler terms, one of their friends had tragically passed away right in the ring, leaving his blood there, yet they were planning to continue wrestling.
In a clip from back then, Owen’s brother, Bret Hart, recounts being informed that his deceased brother’s body had been rolled by while professional wrestlers were being ushered out of the backstage area and onto the ring.
McMahon defends his choice, stating that if he were in the situation where he “landed on the floor,” he would prefer the event to carry on.
The finale turns attention to pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who, in 2007, murdered his wife Nancy and their seven-year-old son Daniel before taking his own life. Following this, WWE Raw did a tribute special to Benoit, not knowing the details of what had happened.
During the broadcast, more information about the situation unfolded in the media. At that point, there was a lot of discussion about whether Benoit might have been using steroids, given the WWE’s past issues with steroid misuse allegations.
In a different telling, McMahon characterized Benoit as a “beast,” while in the Netflix interviews, he merely stated that Benoit had “lost his mind.
However, neuroscientist and ex-WWE star Chris Nowinski points out that, back then, the impact of brain injuries in wrestling was largely disregarded by many.
After enduring a concussion causing him to leave professional wrestling, upon hearing about Benoit’s news, Nowinski became certain that he himself might have been battling with CTE (a chronic form of brain damage).
CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head, with symptoms including behavioral problems, mood problems, and issues with thinking.
After McMahon publicly stated in the media that “the monster was Chris,” Nowinski reached out to Benoit’s father, asking for a sample of his brain for analysis purposes.
It was discovered that the former wrestler had experienced severe brain trauma due to his long career in the wrestling ring.
McMahon and Hulk Hogan strongly insist that what happened didn’t truly occur, claiming all actions were part of a performance; however, this incident once more stirs concerns about the well-being of professional wrestlers.
The Ring Boys Scandal
In the second episode of Mr. McMahon’s series, the Ring Boys Scandal is brought into focus by Phil Mushnick, a journalist from The New York Post, who was among the few mainstream reporters to criticize Vince McMahon and the WWF during their peak popularity.
In 1992, one of the incidents occurred involving former ring boy Tom Cole, who alleged that WWE employees Mel Phillips, Terry Garvin, and Pat Patterson had either sexually harassed or abused minors who worked as ring setters.
In a resolution outside of court, Cole came to terms with the organization, and subsequently, Patterson was permitted to resume his duties. However, there is disagreement regarding his innocence or guilt.
Veteran WWE employee Bruce Prichard expresses doubt about the accusations levied against Patterson, while Anthony White, known as Tony Atlas, shares a less-than-favorable experience: “We were all aware of Pat’s actions. I didn’t get along with him because he frequently touched me inappropriately in the locker room.
When questioned whether he had voiced concerns over Patterson’s reported actions, Atlas responds, “To whom would I complain? He’s the one booking events. He’s the second-in-command in the office.
Afterward, the interviewer jokingly implies he might’ve informed Vince, which leads Tony to break into laughter. “Aren’t you aware that wrestling is a whole different game?… You’ve got two options: accept it, or pack your bags.
Last year, Cole tragically took his own life, yet his sibling, Lee Cole, has persisted in pursuing the facts. More recently, another past ring boy has made accusations against Mel Phillips.
McMahon denies any misconduct yet again, suggesting that Mushnick might harbor a personal grudge against him.
In contrast, Mushnick claims in the latest documentary series that “Vince is likely complicit in the Ring Boy Scout Scandal. At worst, his actions can be seen as grave negligence.
Women in WWE treated like “toys”
In many situations throughout Mr. McMahon’s career, there are clear examples highlighting the questionable handling of female performers, as well as his interactions with women in general, including his own family members – indicating a pattern of problematic behavior towards women.
Atlas openly acknowledges, “We treated women terribly. Everyone did. They were more like playthings for us.” It’s also highlighted that it wouldn’t require a specialist to understand that being a woman in the professional wrestling world during that era was hardly a secure environment.
Many old video recordings display the way women were depicted in the wrestling ring, often requiring them to undress to minimal clothing during matches or being referred to derogatorily as “women of ill repute” by their fellow competitors who are men.
In an attempt to increase viewership, McMahon’s storylines grew increasingly intense. According to Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, one such plot involved him drugging Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon, forcing her into marriage, and then assaulting her on their wedding night.
When he shared the idea with McMahon, it was said that his response was, “I’m really fond of it.
Triple H states that during the incident, McMahon gestured towards him and made a motion suggesting “This means profit.
However, the plotline that sparked the most controversy seemingly depicted Vince’s actual wife, Linda McMahon, being drugged by his on-screen love interest, Attitude Era star Trish Stratus. Disturbing scenes displayed Linda being wheeled in a chair and Vince publicly kissing Trish, despite his marriage.
The most disputed instance occurred when Trish was asked to assume a quadrupedal position and mimic a dog’s bark in the arena, as an apology to Vince. Subsequently, he insisted she remove her clothes while a tumultuous crowd watched on.
In Mr. McMahon’s case, each of the three parties maintains that the events were simply a component of the performance or entertainment.
Yet, when compared to claims of actual woman mistreatment, it brings up concerns about the potentially harmful environment within the WWE, suggesting a murky boundary between make-believe and actuality.
Back in the day, when I was still tussling in the wrestling world under the name Sable (real name: Rena Marlette Lesnar), I decided to call it quits at the height of my fame with WWE. The reason? I took them to court for a whopping $110 million, claiming they failed to provide a safe work environment and subjected me to sexual harassment.
In an unexpected turn of events, Sable abandoned the legal matter and returned to the organization. McMahon utilized this scenario in a narrative, where his daughter Stephanie angrily expressed to him, “Money is everything to her.
When inquired about the claims Sable had earlier concerning the lawsuit, McMahon responded, “To be honest, I can’t recall many specifics regarding Sable at that time… It’s all rather hazy.
Previously showcased in the Netflix documentary, the tale of Rita Chatterton, famously recognized as Rita Marie, is presented. Known for being the first female referee in what was then the WWF, Meltzer suggests that McMahon aimed to promote her as the “attractive blonde referee” in his “drama series.
During the early ’90s, Rita accused McMahon of rape while she worked for his company. Nevertheless, the case didn’t receive adequate attention due to the ongoing steroid scandals and the Ring Boy Scandal.
McMahon and his wife initially took legal action against Rita regarding the accusations, but subsequently decided to withdraw that lawsuit. When asked about this situation by Mr. McMahon, he responded, “It was consensual, and if it were rape, the statute of limitations would have already expired.
In 1983, another mysterious event involving Jimmy Snuka (also known as James Reiher Snuka), occurred. This event took place when his hotel room companion tragically passed away. The details of this incident are not extensively covered in Mr. McMahon’s account.
According to Meltzer, his girlfriend sustained a fatal head injury, but no charges were ever brought against anyone in connection with her death at that particular moment. The initial conclusion of the forensic pathologist who examined the case was that it might have been a homicide.
Did Vince’s influence play a role in that situation? It seems to me he might have been behind the resolution. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure of the details.
Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan caught in lies
During most of Mr. McMahon’s interviews, it was before the recent wave of sexual misconduct accusations against Vince became public knowledge. However, there are many instances where either Vince himself or Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, can be seen either outright lying or at least twisting the truth in these interviews.
Initially, they consistently asserted that WrestleMania III in 1987 was a significant event. After the second one didn’t go as planned, they marketed the third as being comparable to Woodstock for professional wrestling, leading up to Hulk Hogan defending his title against Andre the Giant.
As per their reports, over 93,000 individuals were present in the crowd. Prior to this event, no one had managed to defeat or bodyslam Andre, and it was uncertain whether Andre would allow Hulk to emerge victorious or not.
McMahon expresses, “I believe that’s our most remarkable attraction yet,” he says. “Today, I feel an immense sense of pride about it.
Immediately following that section, Meltzer debunks numerous assertions about a crucial aspect of WWE folklore, punctuated by clips showing these statements to be untrue.
He corrects Andre’s statement, saying, “Andre didn’t always win.” Then, he clarifies, “Andre hadn’t just experienced a single defeat. In fact, I bet Andre lost at least 25 times before this moment, possibly even more.
“They’ve said 93,000 for so many years, they probably believe it,” he continues. “Yeah, it was actually 73,000 in that building.”
Even though it may not be a major deception, it aligns with a larger trend of manipulating truth. In this discussion on WWE, Hulk contends that wrestling isn’t false, but rather, it’s planned, and it serves as entertainment.
However, let me make this clear, over the past decade, I’ve undergone a total of 23 surgical procedures. If these are fabricated, I kindly request an explanation, as I was not informed about such a memo.
In Episode 6, there’s a debate about whether Benoit’s injuries influenced his mental health, and you’ll notice that Hulk and McMahon present contrasting views on the subject.
In response to news reports depicting Benoit diving head-first into the ring, McMahon commented, “That’s all staged.” Then, Hulk clarified, “When someone lightly grabs your wrist and twists it, causing me to yelp in pain, that’s just part of the act.
McMahon says, “It appears that there’s no harm, but also some, yet we are certain about our actions. We avoid causing injury to one another.
All of the sexual assault allegations against McMahon
Even though the accusations against McMahon were brought up in Episode 1, it’s only during the final episode that we get to learn more details about the incident.
Discussing Vince and his Mr. McMahon persona, Wall Street Journal journalists Ted Mann and Joe Palazzolo, who initially revealed this information, delve into the topic.
According to Mann, Vince’s public image, portrayed as Mr. McMahon, was deliberately over-the-top. A significant aspect of this persona was the idea that he was insatiably greedy and sexually inappropriate, often losing self-control. This element played a significant role in shaping the public character.
“The issue lies in the deliberate blending of fictional and real-life elements. Our findings reveal that certain comedic aspects within the characters were actually quite grave and serious.
In the course of their investigation, Palazzolo mentions that additional accusations emerged against McMahon. Specifically, in 2006, an employee at a tanning salon claimed that McMahon had displayed nude photographs of himself to her and inappropriately touched her.
In response to the accusations, McMahon refuted them, leading eventually to the case being dismissed for lack of substantial proof. A few weeks following this incident, McMahon crafted a WWE narrative involving a character who fabricates allegations similar to those initially brought forth by the accuser.
In the course of new revelations, it came to light that McMahon reached settlements totaling $12 million with four distinct women, intended to keep accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior private.
A past event involved a previous wrestler, who is a woman, claiming she was pressured into performing oral sex. When she resisted his amorous advances, her contract was not extended. Later, Vince McMahon paid her $7.5 million.
Following the public controversy, McMahon subsequently declared his retirement. His statement was made during a television interview where he expressed a lack of empathy towards individuals retiring, saying “I have no compassion for such people. Just go perish.
In a similar vein, there’s a scene where Prichard criticizes the makers of Mr. McMahon, stating that the initial cuts of their documentary series were disappointing. He argued they portrayed his long-time friend in an unfavorable light and failed to showcase his human aspect.
Two days henceforth, Janel Grant filed a lawsuit. Obtained initially by the Wall Street Journal, this lawsuit claims that McMahon pressured Grant for a romantic relationship as a condition for employment at WWE that had been previously promised to her.
The text continues by stating that things intensified, as McMahon was allegedly involved in recruiting people for intimate relationships with Ms. Grant and himself.
Previously held head of WWE is likewise implicated for distributing sexually suggestive images and clips of Grant to other men, not only within the organization but also among external circles.
The complaint further alleges that McMahon inflicted inhumane acts of brutality and humiliation upon Ms. Grant, so intense that she felt detached from her surroundings or lost touch with reality as a coping mechanism to endure these harrowing incidents.
In one instance illustrating McMahon’s profound depravity, on May 9, 2020, he soiled Ms. Grant during a threesome, and afterwards ordered her to carry on pleasing his companion using the feces that was in her hair and dripping down her back.
Finally, it claims “WWE benefited financially from the commercial sex act venture orchestrated by McMahon” after he presented Grant “as a sexual commodity for their use.”
The documentary also highlights a claim that McMahon assaulted Grant with “sex toys named after wrestlers.”
In the documentary, Wall Street Journal reporter Khadeeja Safdar is featured, highlighting that Grant presented incriminating text messages exchanged with McMahon, which she describes as one of the most flagrant instances of a high-ranking official making no attempt to conceal his actions.
Despite McMahon’s denial of the accusations, he chose to relinquish his position, and further claims surfaced.
Back in 2016, I found myself among those who faced an unfortunate ordeal – Ashley Massaro. She bravely disclosed that she was a victim of rape during a WWE tour at the hands of someone disguised as a military doctor. She alleged that the WWE didn’t take her claims seriously and instead chose to cover it up, a charge they vehemently denied.
In 2019, Massaro took her own life. After the Grant lawsuit, her lawyer revealed an earlier statement that Massaro had made allegations against McMahon for inappropriate sexual advances. McMahon was notorious for such behavior.
As she claims, after she refused him, he persistently created scenarios to “attempt to humiliate her.
In the case of Mr. McMahon, it’s worth noting that none of the main figures involved in the documentary series consented to revisit the accusations following their emergence; this includes McMahon himself.
Currently, McMahon is being investigated by federal authorities. In response, Grant has decided to postpone her legal action until the investigation is concluded.
Leading up to the Netflix premiere, I’ve been vocal about my disagreement with this documentary, labeling it as misleading. In response to my remarks, Grant’s legal representative Ann Callis has branded me as delusional and mentioned that they are making efforts to ensure that Grant gets her chance in court.
Lawyer Ann Callis, representing Janel Grant – a previous WWE employee, survivor of sexual assault and human trafficking, reacted to Vince McMahon tonight as follows:
— Kendra Barkoff Lamy (@kabarkoff) September 24, 2024
Vince McMahon allegedly subjected Janel Grant to physical, emotional abuse, sexual assault, and trafficking for over two years. It’s misleading and merely an effort to protect his tattered image when he refers to these appalling actions as just a relationship. This was her statement.
Despite Ms. Grant not having watched the Mr. McMahon docuseries, we’re confident that it will shed a strong light on his appalling and illegal activities, as it presents an authentic depiction of his abusive and exploitative conduct.
From now on, the silence imposed by McMahon on Ms. Grant will be broken. Her harrowing tale, though difficult and heart-wrenching, has the power to empower other survivors who have faced abuse. We aim to bring McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE to justice, giving Ms. Grant a chance to speak out in court.
Currently, you can find Mr. McMahon’s stream available on Netflix. For those seeking more updates on true crime, delve into the current whereabouts of Jailbreak’s Casey White, explore potential future true crime stories that the creators of “Monster” might tackle, and discover if smartschoolboy9 was ever taken into custody.
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2024-09-25 17:51