Former WWE professional wrestler Lance Storm weighs in on the bombshell lawsuit filed Thursday that alleges Vince McMahon sexually abused female staff members using a sex toy named after the wrestling star. said.
“You know, I was one of the few who said when this story first came out that he needed to go,” Storm said. wall street journal Reports in 2022 first revealed that WWE was investigating payments to multiple women who had made allegations of sexual misconduct.
McMahon temporarily stepped down as chairman and CEO of WWE in July 2022, but returned in January 2023 as executive chairman of WWE's parent company, TKO Group Holdings.
“I was frankly against him being allowed back into the office and back on the show,” Storm told Wrestling Observer Live co-host Brian Alvarez on Thursday. , added that McMahon will boycott WWE programming when he returns to executive management in 2023. .
“This is classic sexual predator stuff: Find someone down on their luck, start grooming them and bending them to your will,” Storm added. explosives lawsuit A lawsuit filed this week in federal court in Connecticut names one woman who allegedly received payments from Mr. McMahon.
Janelle Grant broke her silence in court documents, revealing that McMahon used a sex toy on her, causing her injuries, including bruising and bleeding.
In another shocking incident, the wrestling mogul defecated on Grant's head during a threesome in May 2020 and trafficked Grant to other WWE executives for sexual purposes, according to the complaint. has been done.
“This is truly disgusting and horrific and he needs to go away and be done with it. If there is any truth to this, I hope there will be criminal charges,” Storm said.
“Because there are so many NDAs, [non-disclosure agreements] And there's a long list, and I don't understand why it's not the case,” added Storm, 54, who retired from the ring in 2004.
In light of the allegations, Storm, who currently works as a producer for TNA Wrestling, added: [McMahon] Officer removed and office key taken away [and] Ban him from going to the show. ”
“I think whoever covered something up, whoever knew about this, should legally have to clean out the house.”
John Laurinaitis, WWE's former head of talent relations, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit after he was allegedly recruited by McMahon to have sex with Grant.
According to the complaint, Grant was asked by McMahon to visit Laurinaitis' hotel room, where they had sex before work.
In another encounter at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Conn., in June 2021, the lawsuit alleges that McMahon and Laurinaitis forced themselves on her and restrained her on their behalf.
Court documents say McMahon and Laurinaitis said statements to Grant during the alleged assault that included words such as “no means yes” and “okay.” There is.
Allegations of sexual misconduct involving McMahon date back at least three years, but WWE said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that while the government investigation into McMahon continues, no charges have been filed. Ta.
In 2022, WWE set up a “special committee” to look into the allegations against McMahon, but a conclusion was reached by November of the same year.
McMahon said in a statement at the time: “Throughout this experience, I have always denied any intentional wrongdoing and will continue to do so. I am confident that the government's investigation will be resolved without a finding of wrongdoing.”
But social media users don't seem so convinced.
Many people agreed with Storm's comments on a pro wrestling news radio show that Vince has to go.
“Vince is a horrible monster. Get rid of him now!” A user named Matt Crews warned that “getting rid of everyone is easier said than done.”
“Vince is so powerful that his accomplices could easily be coerced or risk losing their livelihoods,” Cruz warned.
