Multiple WWE employees believe that the Vince McMahon investigation will find more evidence.
Following the news that broke on January 25th that Vince McMahon was accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault, a follow-up report on February 2nd by The Wall Street Journal stated that a federal investigation on Vince McMahon has begun, with prosecutors also contacting women who have also accused McMahon of sexual misconduct.
The day before the investigation was reported, former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, who was named in the lawsuit, issued a statement via his attorney that he was a victim in the alleged events.
An update on the events that have taken place in the past few days has been provided via Fightful Select. In response to the McMahon investigation, longtime employees are predicting that evidence will be uncovered, with one employee stating “if the feds raided Vince and got his phone, they’ll almost surely find something.”
In an additional and more concerning statement, another company employee believes that the horrific allegations that became public are not “the worst of it,” citing McMahon’s higher hush money payments to other women that have since been uncovered. Corroborating the Wall Street Journal article, Fightful notes that more victims have been identified and have been asked if they want to take further action.
In regards to Laurinaitis, it is reported that his attorney is making several attempts to contact many names in the industry, which is believed to be a search for allies after he publicly blamed McMahon for all the contents in the lawsuit. One source noted to Fightful that the behaviour was “rats jumping off of the sinking ship.”
Shortly after news about the investigation was released, a report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that a main roster talent had not been approached about the situation by management, only that Vince McMahon had gone and would not be coming back. Fightful adds that no talent they have spoken to has been part of a wider meeting and the direction moving forward to focus on leaving McMahon in the past as opposed to addressing it beyond recognising the departure.
WWE Knew About Vince McMahon Allegations During Other Announcements
In terms of the timeline of events, Fightful reports that TKO Holdings became aware of “the mess on their hands” once the merger was completed. Additionally, it’s reported that TKO was aware when executives and McMahon were at the New York Stock Exchange after previously announcing a new partnership with Netflix to broadcast WWE Raw from 2025 and The Rock being appointed as a member of the TKO Board of Directors.
The report also reiterates that Brock Lesnar will not be on WWE TV for the foreseeable future.