(NewsNation) — WWE’s chief content officer Triple H deflected questions about the lawsuit on his father-in-law Vince McMahon, during the Royal Rumble event on Saturday.
“I choose to focus on the positive. Yes, there’s a negative, but I want to focus on that and keep it to that,” Triple H said shifting the focus on WWE’s latest deal with Netflix.
The wrestling community is grappling with allegations against WWE founder McMahon, as a lawsuit was filed this week by former employee Janel Grant. The lawsuit, spanning a graphic 67 pages, accuses McMahon of preying upon, sexually trafficking, and violating Grant.
The Royal Rumble event continued despite the controversy, with Cody Rhodes, who won his match on Saturday, acknowledging the dark cloud looming over the league. Rhodes commented, “You said a dark cloud, certainly. As far as TKO, (CEO) Nick Khan and the board clearly took it very seriously and acted immediately.”
Grant, who previously worked in WWE’s legal and talent departments, alleges that McMahon dangled job opportunities and promotions in exchange for sexual favors. The lawsuit claims that McMahon not only engaged in sexual relations with Grant but also recruited others for such activities, even during working hours at the WWE headquarters.
Screenshots of explicit text messages, attributed to McMahon, were included in the lawsuit, further detailing the disturbing nature of the alleged interactions. One message ominously read, “I’m the only one who owns U and controls who I want to (blank) U.”
“[Grant has] been devastated, dehumanized, discarded, and she is really a destroyed person physically and mentally,” Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis expressed.
The fallout from the lawsuit extended beyond the legal arena, affecting WWE’s corporate partnerships.
Slim Jim initially pulled its sponsorship for the Royal Rumble in Florida following the public revelation of the lawsuit stating, “Given the recent disturbing allegations against Vince McMahon, at this time we’ve decided to pause our promotional activities with WWE.”
However, the company reversed its decision and said, “After the departure of Vince McMahon, and discussions with WWE TKO senior leadership, Slim Jim has decided to re-enter the Royal Rumble.”
