Former referee's accusation toward WWE's Vince McMahon leads to multimillion-dollar settlement

Vince McMahon's return to WWE as Executive Chairman of the Board has been one of the hottest topics of discussion ever since the dawn of the new year. There has also been speculation that Mr. McMahon facilitated a sale of the company to Saudi Arabia in the past week, albeit that was later reported to be false.

As per The Wall Street Journal, Vince has agreed to settle a multimillion-dollar legal settlement with a former wrestling referee, Rita Chatterton, on account of an alleged rape that took place in 1986.

Mr. McMahon's settlement, which was supposedly completed last month, averts a public legal fight over her allegations as he looks to sell the company.

Ms. Chatterton, the first female referee of what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation, demanded $11.75 million in damages for the alleged rape in a November letter to Mr. McMahon’s attorney viewed by The Wall Street Journal. [H/T: The Wall Street Journal]

According to a lawyer for Mr. McMahon, Jerry McDevitt, the former has denied all the allegations but had to settle "solely to avoid the cost of litigation."

John Clune, a lawyer for Rita Chatterton, wrote that the damage Ms. Chatterton had suffered from the alleged rape was “hard to overstate.” Ms. Chatterton “has suffered years of ongoing depression, substance abuse, disordered eating, lost income, and overall a decreased quality of life,” Mr. Clune wrote.

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The former WWE Chairman has returned to the promotion amid sexual allegations

Mr. McMahon's retirement in July 2022 came as a shocker to many, albeit it seemed like a logical move amid all the allegations.

WWE has declined to discuss the allegations against Mr. McMahon. The company previously said it was cooperating with a board inquiry into the payments and taking the claims seriously.

He had reportedly settled $7.5 million in 2018 with a former wrestler who alleged that he coerced her into giving him oral sex.

An agreement made in 2022 saw Vince agreeing to pay $3 million to a former WWE employee with whom he allegedly had an affair. Mr. McMahon has declined to publicly address the settlements.