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Former WWE employee Debra Jaswaye recently recalled how the company handled a serious allegation against legendary wrestling manager Freddie Blassie.
Jaswaye worked for WWE as a Creative Director between 1990 and 2005. As part of her job, she used to have weekly 30-minute meetings with Blassie in his office to discuss WWE's live event programs.
In an interview on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Jaswaye said Blassie sometimes made inappropriate remarks about what he wanted to do to her. She also shared a story about another female employee receiving a pay-off in the 1990s after she complained about the WWE Hall of Famer:
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"Freddie, you know, he was a dirty old man, and that was just who he was," Jaswaye stated. "Over years of being who he thought he was in the ring, that's what he was in his mind, I guess. He did actually get in trouble at the office. He did do something, and I can't comment because I don't know the details, but he did something that obviously was serious enough for there to be somebody who supposedly got a pay-off and she left the company and she moved out of state. More power to her." [32:04 – 32:38]
A WWE Hall of Famer isn't a John Cena fan. More details HERE
According to Jaswaye, WWE allowed Blassie to quietly continue in his behind-the-scenes role even after he supposedly left the company:
"But they asked Freddie to not come into the office. He didn't have an office job anymore, and he was basically taken off the books and it made it look like he was gone. But he wasn't because he used to come and hang out in the mail room." [32:38 – 32:50]
In 2003, Blassie passed away at the age of 85. He was over 50 years older than Jaswaye when they used to have meetings in his office.
The alleged perception of Freddie Blassie among WWE staff
Debra Jaswaye clarified that she does not mean any disrespect to Freddie Blassie by sharing details of their interactions. She does not hold anything against him and believes the 1990s were a different time.
Jaswaye added that many people in the company were aware of Blassie's "disgusting" behavior:
"We all kinda knew Freddie was Freddie, kinda like a dirty uncle. It's like, 'Just don't get too close.' And it's unfortunate because I look back now and I think it's really disgusting, but at the time, I'm sure, who knows if I was the only one that was going to his office. No one said anything. No one made a big deal about it. It was like just whatever. It's a funny story you can tell 30 years later, and here I am, you know, so, yeah, but ew!" [33:28 – 34:00]
In January, another WWE misconduct case made headlines after former employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon. She alleged that the company's former owner sexually trafficked her between 2019 and 2022. McMahon denied the allegations before stepping down from his position "out of respect."
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
