Editing WWE (section)

===Misconduct allegations involving Vince McMahon===
{{see also|Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal}}
One of the first allegations against Vince McMahon was made on April 3, 1992, when [[Rita Chatterton]], a former [[Referee (professional wrestling)|referee]] noted for her stint as Rita Marie in the WWF in the 1980s and for being the first female referee in the WWF (possibly in professional wrestling history),<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/sexliesheadlocks00shau/page/116|title=Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation|last1=Assael|first1=Shaun|last2=Mooneyham|first2=Mike|publisher=Crown Publishers|year=2002|isbn=0609606905|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/sexliesheadlocks00shau/page/116 116]|oclc=49276567|author-link=Shaun Assael|name-list-style=amp}}</ref> made an appearance on [[Geraldo Rivera]]'s show ''Now It Can Be Told''. She claimed that on July 16, 1986, McMahon tried to force her to perform [[oral sex]] on him in his limousine; when she refused, he raped her.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/sexliesheadlocks00shau/page/115|title=Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation|last1=Assael|first1=Shaun|last2=Mooneyham|first2=Mike|publisher=Crown Publishers|year=2002|isbn=0609606905|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/sexliesheadlocks00shau/page/115 115–117]|oclc=49276567|author-link=Shaun Assael|name-list-style=amp}}</ref> Former wrestler [[Mario Mancini|Leonard Inzitari]] has corroborated Chatterton's allegation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/vince-mcmahon-1986-rape-allegation-143500212.html | title=Vince McMahon 1986 Rape Allegation Resurfaces as Former Wrestler Corroborates Story }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Several years later, on February 1, 2006, McMahon was accused of sexual harassment by a worker at a tanning bar in [[Boca Raton, Florida]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=14071&category=Local%20News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094453/http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=14071&category=Local%20News|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 28, 2007|title=WWE chief accused of groping Boca tanning salon worker|last=King|first=Dale|date=February 3, 2006|work=Boca Raton News|access-date=July 2, 2007}}</ref> At first, the charge appeared to be discredited because McMahon was in [[Miami]] for the [[2006 Royal Rumble]] at the time. It was soon clarified that the alleged incident was reported to police on the day of the Rumble, but actually took place the day before.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=15391|title=McMahon situation to get more publicity|first=Dave|last=Meltzer|magazine=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|access-date=July 2, 2007|date=February 2, 2006}}</ref> On March 25, it was reported that no charges would be filed against McMahon as a result of the investigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Digest|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2006-03-25/news/0603250062_1_consecutive-life-cancer-treatment-life-terms|access-date=March 9, 2016|work=Sun-Sentinel|date=March 25, 2006|archive-date=March 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310024927/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2006-03-25/news/0603250062_1_consecutive-life-cancer-treatment-life-terms|url-status=dead}}</ref> Both Chatterton and a separate tanning spa worker who alleged that McMahon sexually assaulted her in California in 2011 filed civil sex abuse lawsuits against him in late 2022.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wwes-vince-mcmahon-faces-fresh-demands-from-women-alleging-sexual-abuse-11670945682|title=WWE's Vince McMahon Faces Fresh Demands From Women Alleging Sexual Abuse|first1=Joe|last1=Palazzolo|first2=Ted|last2=Mann|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=December 13, 2022|accessdate=January 6, 2023}}</ref> McMahon would agree to pay Chatterton an undisclosed multimillion-dollar legal settlement.<ref name=chattertonsettlement>{{cite web |last2=Mann |first1=Joe |last1=Palazzolo |first2=Ted |title=WWE's Vince McMahon Settles With Ex-Wrestling Referee Who Accused Him of Rape |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wwes-vince-mcmahon-settles-with-ex-wrestling-referee-who-accused-him-of-rape-11674149751 |work=[[Wall Street Journal]] |date=January 20, 2023 |access-date=February 22, 2023|url-access= subscription }}</ref>

In 2014, activist investor [[Emmanuel Lemelson]] stated that he believed the company had made material misrepresentations in its [[Financial Reporting|financial reporting]]<ref name="WSJCA">{{cite news |last=Copeland |first=Rob |date=October 28, 2015 |title=Hedge-Fund Priest: Thou Shalt Make Money |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/hedge-fund-priest-thou-shalt-make-money-1445918531?mod=mktw |access-date=December 19, 2015}} (Subscription required)</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Strauss |first=Gary |title=World Wrestling pummeled four out of five rounds this week |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2014/04/07/world-wrestling-gets-wall-street-style-take-down/7418043/ |access-date=April 3, 2021 |work=USA TODAY}}</ref> and called for new leadership or a sale of the company.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Kline |first=Daniel B. |date=June 7, 2014 |title=Should the McMahons Still Be Running WWE? |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/07/should-the-mcmahons-still-be-running-wwe.aspx |access-date=July 31, 2021 |work=The Motley Fool}}</ref> Lemelson's analysis was credited with an $800 million drop in the [[market capitalization]] of the stock.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiavo |first=Amanda |title=Why World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Stock Finished Down Today |url=https://www.thestreet.com/markets/why-world-wrestling-entertainment-wwe-stock-finished-down-today-12667421 |access-date=July 31, 2021 |website=TheStreet |date=April 11, 2014 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Strauss |first=Gary |title=Kulicke & Soffa shares surge after investor urges buyback |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2014/04/22/kulicke--soffa-shares-rocket-after-investor-urges-buyback/8016399/ |access-date=July 31, 2021 |work=USA TODAY}}</ref>

In April 2022, the WWE board began investigating a $3 million hush-money settlement that McMahon paid over an alleged affair with a former employee of the company. The investigation also revealed other nondisclosure agreements related to misconduct claims by other women in the company against McMahon and executive [[John Laurinaitis]], totaling $12 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Calia |first=Mike |title=WWE board investigates secret $3 million hush payment by CEO Vince McMahon, report says |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/15/wwe-board-investigates-secret-3-million-hush-payment-by-vince-mcmahon.html |access-date=June 15, 2022 |publisher=CNBC |date=June 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mann |first1=Ted| last2=Palazzolo |first2=Joe |title=WWE Board Probes Secret $3 Million Hush Pact by CEO Vince McMahon, Sources Say |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wwe-board-probes-secret-3-million-hush-pact-by-ceo-vince-mcmahon-sources-say-11655322722 |access-date=June 15, 2022 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=June 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1 =Palazzolo|first1 =Joe|last2 =Mann|first2 =Ted|last3 =Flint|first3 =Joe|title =WWE's Vince McMahon Agreed to Pay $12 Million in Hush Money to Four Women|work=The Wall Street Journal| date =July 8, 2022| url =https://www.wsj.com/articles/wwes-vince-mcmahon-agreed-to-pay-12-million-in-hush-money-to-four-women-11657289742| url-access = subscription| accessdate = July 23, 2022}}</ref> This eventually led to McMahon retiring from all of his positions on July 22, 2022, and a change in leadership of the WWE for the first time since 1982;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.wwe.com/news/company-news/2022/07-22-2022a|title=Vince McMahon Retires|work=WWE|date=July 22, 2022|access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/22/business/vince-mcmahon-retires-wwe.html|title=Vince McMahon retires from W.W.E. after stepping down amid a board investigation.|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 22, 2022|access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/wwes-vince-mcmahon-says-he-is-retiring/2022/07/22/808096d4-0a04-11ed-80b6-43f2bfcc6662_story.html|title=WWE's McMahon says he is retiring amid misconduct probe|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 22, 2022|access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref> he would later return to the company in January 2023 as executive chairman.<ref name=chattertonsettlement />

The company would eventually report $19.6 million in unrecorded payments made by Vince McMahon between 2006 and 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stebbins |first=Jack |title=WWE discloses another $5 million in McMahon payments, delays earnings report |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/10/wwe-discloses-5-million-in-mcmahon-payments-delays-earnings-report.html |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=CNBC |date=August 10, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In January 2024, McMahon's history of having a role with the WWE ended amid new allegation by ex-WWE employee Janel Grant.<ref name=mcmahongone>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wwe-founder-vince-mcmahon-resigns-ex-employee-accuses-lawsuit-sexual-a-rcna135981|title=WWE founder Vince McMahon resigns after ex-employee accuses him in lawsuit of sexual assault, trafficking|first1=Emile|last1=Dorn|first2=Diana|last2=Dasrath|first3=Jamie|last3=Knodel|publisher=NBC News|date=January 26, 2024|accessdate=January 27, 2024}}</ref> Grant accused McMahon and John Laurinaitis of not only sexually assaulting her, but also sex trafficking.<ref name=byebyevince /><ref name=mcmahongone /> The allegation also led to Slim Jim pausing its sponsorship of WWE events.<ref name=byebyevince />