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Vince McMahon believes he received bad advice when he stepped down as Chairman and CEO of WWE and is plotting a return, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. The paper, which also broke the news earlier this year about internal investigations into hush money payments for sexual misconduct accusations that forced McMahon to retire, followed up on the story to note that Rita Chatterton, who accused McMahon of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s, has demanded $11.5 million in damages from McMahon via her attorney. At the same time, a spa manager claiming McMahon sexually assaulted her in 2011 at a private California resort has also requested a new legal settlement from McMahon. According to the paper, unlike Chatterton’s story, which has been known for decades and resurfaced earlier this year, the spa manager’s claim was previously unreported in the media, though it may have been known to the board as part of the internal investigation. WSJ also reports that WWE’s Board of Directors is still determining whether they should file legal action against McMahon for the secret payments.
But as the hits keep coming for the beleaguered McMahon, he’s reportedly planning to return to his role as leader of the multi-billion dollar company. The report notes that McMahon “has told people that he intends to make a comeback at WWE, according to the people familiar with his comments. He has said that he received bad advice from people close to him to step down and that he now believes the allegations and investigations would have blown over had he stayed, these people said.”
As the largest shareholder of WWE, McMahon could probably force his way back into the company if he wanted. But he may have more pressing concerns, as both New York, where Chatterton’s alleged assault took place, and California, where the spa manager’s alleged assault happened, have recently signed laws giving sexual assault victims a one-year window to file new criminal complaints even if the statute of limitations has passed. That could give the women leverage in their requests for settlements from McMahon, but it could also introduce a new legal danger for the 77-year-old, who the report claims has told people he refuses to pay the settlements.
Since McMahon’s departure, daughter Stephanie McMahon has served as co-CEO alongside Nick Khan, while son-in-law Triple H has been running the company’s creative. The change has been well-received amongst wrestling fans, for whom McMahon’s departure was a breath of fresh air in terms of its effect on the company’s on-screen product. As well as creatively, WWE has been thriving financially, with stock prices up 15% since McMahon left (though down 1.5% following this morning’s report), begging the question: besides himself, does anyone actually want Vince McMahon to return to WWE?
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