Over a 16-year span, the head of the WWE, Vince McMahon, paid $12 million to four women whom he sexually molested to keep them quiet. In return for the payments, the women signed non-disclosure agreements with McMahon.
The previously unreported settlements stem from incidents starting in 2005 when McMahon allegedly coerced a female wrestler to give him oral sex before demoting her and declining to renew her contract, people familiar with the matter said.
The wrestler was retaliated against after she turned down further sexual advances from McMahon, and she was paid roughly $7.5 million in 2018 to keep quiet about the incidents, according to the Journal.
McMahon, who is worth $2.1 billion, also allegedly paid a WWE contractor around $1 million after she came to the company with unsolicited nude pictures of McMahon that were sent to her by him.
WWE’s board of directors has been investigating the allegations as well as the payouts. During the investigation, McMahon stepped aside and was replaced by his daughter Stephanie.
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