Vince McMahon accused of withholding key documents in WWE shareholder lawsuit

The legal troubles surrounding Vince McMahon continue to intensify, as the WWE Executive Chairman has been accused of resisting the release of documents related to past sexual misconduct allegations. This development comes as part of an ongoing shareholder lawsuit filed against World Wrestling Entertainment in Delaware’s Court of Chancery.The lawsuit, filed in November 2023 by the Laborers' District Council and Contractors' Pension Fund of Ohio, claims that McMahon orchestrated WWE's merger with UFC under Endeavor in a manner that benefited him personally.The plaintiffs argue that other potential buyers were unwilling to retain McMahon due to the misconduct allegations, pushing him to favour a deal with Endeavor that preserved his role.The case has now entered its discovery phase, and a motion filed on April 29 seeks to compel McMahon to produce documents dated between January 1, 2022, and March 12, 2024. These include materials related to alleged sexual misconduct, non-disclosure agreements, and internal investigations, particularly those that occurred in 2022 involving both McMahon and former executive John Laurinaitis.According to court documents, McMahon has only agreed to turn over records directly tied to the merger or involving certain top executives. This has raised concerns among the plaintiffs, who argue that McMahon is excluding crucial internal communications, including messages that may reveal his thought process during the fallout of the allegations and his decision to remove board members who opposed him.The motion clarifies that the plaintiffs are not seeking to re-investigate the misconduct allegations themselves, but rather to understand how these controversies may have influenced McMahon’s motivations and strategic decisions - specifically, his return to power in January 2023 and the eventual merger with UFC.Adding to the mounting legal scrutiny, Janel Grant’s amended lawsuit accusing McMahon and WWE of sexual abuse and trafficking was recently accepted by a U.S. District Court judge. While McMahon and WWE deny the allegations, the case continues to draw attention, especially after Grant’s legal team named high-profile WWE figures in the revised complaint.McMahon has until May 14 to formally oppose the latest motion in the Delaware case. Meanwhile, discovery in the Grant case remains paused pending arbitration proceedings, though the controversies surrounding McMahon have shown little sign of denting WWE’s business under its new parent company, TKO Group.