Vince McMahon and other WWE executives such as John Laurinaitis knew about Ashley Massaro’s rape and sex trafficking allegations, Laurinaitis’ lawyer has claimed.
WWE issued a statement after Massaro’s suicide in 2019 claiming that they were never made aware of the former wrestler’s allegations.
However, Laurinaitis’ lawyer insisted it is an ‘outright lie’ that his client would ‘cover up’ the allegations and said that protocols of ‘privacy for the alleged victim’ were followed.
In January, McMahon resigned from his position as Executive Chairman of TKO – the company following WWE and UFC‘s merger – after being accused of sex trafficking.
WWE superstar Massaro took her own life by hanging in 2019.
John Laurinaitis’ lawyer has claimed that WWE executives knew about Ashley Massaro’s (pictured) rape and sex trafficking allegations
Edward Brennan, lawyer for Laurinaitis (pictured), denied any suggestion of a ‘cover up’
Her suicide came eight months after the dismissal of a lawsuit where she claimed head injuries from her wrestling career made her spiral into depression.
In 2016, Massaro alleged that members of the US Armed Forces drugged and sexually assaulted her during a WWE tour of Kuwait in 2006.
She also accused McMahon of abuse and claimed WWE discouraged her from reporting the alleged sexual assault.
After her suicide in 2019, her allegations resurfaced and WWE issued a statement denying any knowledge of them.
‘At no time was Vince McMahon or the management of WWE ever informed by Ashley Massaro or anybody else that she had been sexually assaulted, drugged, raped or sodomized by a military doctor with a nurse standing guard while on a goodwill tour in 2007 to U.S. military bases in Kuwait,’ the statement read.
‘In fact, if she ever articulated such a claim to WWE, we would have reported it immediately to the Base Commander.
‘At no time was there ever a meeting with Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn, John Laurinaitis or other company executives in which she told them of such a claim and was instructed to keep it quiet.’
Laurinaitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, has denied any sugestion of him being involved in a ‘cover up’ despite insisting WWE were aware of the allegations.
Massaro alleged that members of the US Armed Forces drugged and sexually assaulted her during a WWE tour of Kuwait in 2006 – and accused Vince McMahon of abuse
McMahon stepped down as Executive Chairman of TKO following allegations of sex trafficking
He said: ‘Any allegations that Mr. Laurinaitus helped to cover up an alleged rape allegation is an outright lie.
‘Johnny, like most upper level management at sometime became aware of the allegations and ensured all proper WWE protocols were followed, including privacy for the alleged victim. We object to the use of the term cover up as no such plan or plot ever took place to hide or assist in the alleged rape.’
In a shocking turn of events, he also claimed Laurinaitus was a victim of McMahon’s, saying: ‘Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.’
Massaro’s claims have come to the fore once again following the recent resignation of McMahon.
McMahon stepped down after former WWE employee Janel Grant accused the 78-year-old billionaire of sex trafficking and claimed he defecated on her head during a threesome.
Grant, who previously agreed to a $3million settlement in exchange for signing a nondisclosure agreement in 2022, filed a new lawsuit against McMahon in January.
WWE executive and retired wrestler John Laurinaitis is also named as a defendant in the suit. Laurinaitis was fired from the WWE in 2022.
Janel Grant accused McMahon of sex trafficking and Laurinaitis is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit
Grant alleged that McMahon and another WWE executive locked her in a room at the WWE’s Stamford, Connecticut headquarters in June of 2021 and took turns sexually assaulting her during the work day.
The married McMahon is additionally accused of trafficking Grant to other men and sharing nude photographs of the plaintiff. Grant is seeking unspecified damages.
The WWE had previously described McMahon’s sexual relationship with Grant as ‘consensual’ in a 2022 statement.
McMahon denied the allegations in a statement made to DailyMail.com, saying: ‘I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth.’
However, he resigned ‘out of respect for the WWE Universe’.
