Netflix’s docuseries “Mr. McMahon” “only scratches the surface” of former WWE CEO Vince McMahon’s terrible behavior, the lawyer for a woman who claims to have been sexually assaulted and trafficked by him said in a statement to TheWrap.
“The ‘Mr. McMahon’ docuseries makes it clear there is no difference between Vince McMahon’s on-air persona and his true self, they are one and the same. His ‘character’ – known for violent outbursts, sexual deviance, and manipulation – is the real Vince McMahon and exactly what Janel Grant experienced behind closed doors at WWE for years,” Ann Callis, who represents former WWE employee Janel Grant, said Wednesday.
“While the docuseries put McMahon’s obsession with power and control on full display, it only scratches the surface of his criminal behavior and it fails to tell the full story of his abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking of Ms. Grant,” Callis continued.
She added that her client “deserves the opportunity to tell her story, on her own time, and in her own way,” and that they “look forward to her day in court and to seeing McMahon at last held accountable for his actions.”
McMahon has signed at least $12 million in hush money payments with at least four women over the previous 16 years, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2022. While non-disclosure agreements were signed, both McMahon and one of those women, Grant, believe that the other party violated their agreement.
Grant is suing McMahon, John Laurinaitis and the WWE organization for sexual abuse and misconduct. McMahon resigned from WWE parent company TKO Group following the suit’s filing in January.
McMahon released a statement earlier this week distancing himself from the docuseries, despite having granted interviews to director Chris Smith.
“A lot has been misrepresented or left out entirely in an effort to leave viewers intentionally confused,” he asserted. “The producers use typical editing tricks with out-of-context footage and dated soundbites etc. to distort the viewers’ perception and support a deceptive narrative.”
For the six-part series, Smith and executive producer Bill Simmons interviewed dozens of former and current WWE employees about the former CEO and his legacy.
Representatives for McMahon did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
