New York
CNN
—
Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the chief content material officer at World Wrestling Leisure, made his first public feedback after Vince McMahon resigned Friday from the board of WWE’s mother or father firm, TKO Group Holdings, within the wake of a former worker’s lawsuit accusing McMahon of intercourse trafficking, sexual assault and bodily abuse.
At a information convention after WWE’s “Royal Rumble” occasion Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida, Levesque, McMahon’s son-in-law, stated he had not learn the lawsuit and had no prior data of it, including he doesn’t “wish to get slowed down into that.”
Levesque stated he’s doing “every thing potential” to make sure staff aren’t taken benefit of and really feel protected at work. He didn’t present particulars about what measures WWE has taken.
TKO didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark about Levesque’s statements on the information convention.
The horrifying allegations in opposition to McMahon have been introduced ahead by Janel Grant, who labored at WWE’s headquarters. Grant alleged McMahon promised a job — and later promotions — at WWE in change for intercourse.
Grant’s lawsuit additionally contains allegations McMahon trafficked her to different males inside and outdoors the corporate, together with John Laurinaitis, a former wrestler who labored within the firm’s expertise relations division. Laurinaitis can be named as a defendant within the lawsuit.
McMahon, 78, has denied the allegations and stated he’s ready to defend himself in courtroom.
McMahon retired from his function in July 2022 amid a WWE-appointed particular committee investigation into his alleged misconduct whereas serving as chairman and CEO of the corporate. Laurinaitis left the corporate shortly thereafter.
McMahon returned as chair of TKO in early 2023. In September, WWE formally merged with a portion of Hollywood energy dealer Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor group, the mother or father firm of UFC, to kind TKO. The deal valued the newly mixed firm at over $21 billion, with WWE shareholders proudly owning 49% of the mixed firm.
The winner of the boys’s Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes, stated on the information convention the allegations forged “a darkish cloud” over the corporate and he wasn’t certain what the subsequent chapter would appear to be.
Levesque stated it was “an incredible week” for WWE after beforehand citing a 10-year, $5 billion deal introduced Tuesday with streaming service Netflix, which can develop into the unique residence of the “WWE Uncooked” program beginning in 2025.
Additionally on Tuesday, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson introduced he would join the board of directors at TKO.
CNN’s Samantha Delouya, Elizabeth Wagmeister and Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.