WWE: Bella Twins Respond To Sex Trafficking Lawsuit
WWE is in a state of turmoil right now as the man who owned the company for over four decades has been named in a lawsuit. A woman has sued Vince McMahon for sex trafficking, sexual assault, and more. Also named in the allegations is McMahon’s former right-hand man John Laurinaitis. This brought former WWE Divas, The Bella Twins, out to comment on the allegations.
Here is what the Bella Twins had to say amidst the swirling accusations and lawsuits involving their former boss Vince McMahon and their stepfather John Laurinaitis.
The Bella Twins respond to allegations against Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis
The Bella Twins are now going by their real names, The Garcia Twins. WWE has a copyright on their wrestling names so the two sisters are now Nikki and Brie Garcia. However, while they are no longer with WWE, they have a strong connection to the recent allegations. Not only were they major stars for McMahon’s WWE, but John Laurinaitis is married to their mother.
The allegations are horrific. In the lawsuit, former W.W.E. employee, Janel Grant, sued Vince McMahon with accusations of sexual assault and sex trafficking. WWE was also named in the lawsuit. She claims that McMahon hired her, but then learned her job wasn’t a real one. Grant then said that McMahon forced her into a sexual relationship to keep her job. He also took pornographic videos and photos of her and passed them around to other people within WWE (via The New York Times).
The accusations also say that when she tried to leave for a job in the XFL, McMahon blocked it. He brought her back to WWE and ordered her to have sex with John Laurinaitis and also take part in threesomes. He then assigned her to work under Laurinaitis. The alleged assault began taking place in March 2020. McMahon has proclaimed his innocence.
However, McMahon also had a reported $3 million non-disclosure agreement with Grant. She claims he only paid $1 million and then stopped. This is one of several non-disclosure agreements that McMahon had with former female WWE employees.
With their former boss and stepfather included in the accusations, the Bella Twins made a statement on Instagram. “We are shocked and disheartened with the recent allegations against members of the WWE,” they wrote. “It has been a lot to process since we found out this past week just as you all did. This is something we don’t stand for or condone from anyone no matter who they are. We want all women to feel safe and supported in the workplace and in their everyday lives.”
Vince McMahon officially leaves WWE
Vince McMahon ended up resigning from his position on the TKO Board of Directors (via ESPN). He left the company before the Royal Rumble event on Sunday. Slim Jim, one of the biggest sponsors in WWE history threatened to end their business relationship with WWE over the lawsuit. This was one of the reasons McMahon stepped down.
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McMahon wasn’t in an official position in WWE anyway. His role on the Board of Directors was mostly ceremonial thanks to the fact he mostly created what fans know as WWE today. He also is no longer a majority stockholder, although he does still hold stock in the company. Endeavor, the company that owns UFC, bought the majority shares in WWE last year from McMahon.
This isn’t the first time that McMahon had to step down because of sexual misconduct allegations either. He stepped down from his role running the company in 2022 when The Wall Street Journal reported that he had made $14.6 million in payments to women who accused him of sexual misconduct from 2006 to 2022. As the majority stockholder, Vince eventually forced his way back in, which caused his daughter Stephanie McMahon to quit the company days later.
With Endeavor now owning WWE, and Dwayne Johnson joining the TKO Board of Directors last week, there is no chance that McMahon will ever get back into the company regardless of the final results of the lawsuit.
What are your thoughts on the Vince McMahon allegations in WWE? What are your thoughts on the Bella Twins statement? Should they have said more? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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