Vince McMahon and WWE Execs Were Allegedly Aware of Ashley Massaro's Allegations Before Her Death, Lawyer Denies 'Cover up'
A lawyer for an ex-WWE executive claimed WWE executives were aware of Ashley Massaro's allegations before her death.
Former WWE executive John Laurinaitis' lawyer claimed his client, as well as ex-CEO Vince McMahon and other executives, were aware of late professional wrestler Ashley Massaro's rape and sex trafficking allegations before her 2019 suicide but insisted they were not involved in a coverup, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In 2016, Massaro claimed she was drugged and raped by military service members on a 2006 WWE trip. After her death, the WWE released a statement claiming they were unaware of her allegations.
Massaro died by suicide in 2019.
Massaro had additionally accused McMahon of abuse and claimed the WWE discouraged her from reporting the alleged crimes.
"Any allegations that Mr. Laurinaitus helped to cover up an alleged rape allegation is an outright lie," lawyer Edward Brennan said, according to the Daily Mail. "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."
Massaro also accused McMahon of abuse and claimed the WWE discouraged her from reporting the allegations.
Brennan's claims seemingly contradicted the statement released by the WWE following Massaro's death.
"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 2019 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."
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Laurinaitis' lawyer said McMahon, his client and other executives were aware of Massaro's allegations before her death.
In a bizarre twist, Brennan insinuated his client was also a victim of McMahon, "Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out."
In January, McMahon resigned as executive chairman of TKO Holdings., WWE's parent company, after he was sued by a former employee Janel Grant, who accused him of repeated sexual assault, abuse, and sex trafficking from 2019 to 2022.
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McMahon was sued in January by a former employee accusing him of abuse and sex trafficking.
Laurinaitis, who was fired from the WWE in 2022 amid an investigation into McMahon's alleged misconduct, was also named as a defendant in Grant's shocking and graphic lawsuit.
Grant agreed to a $3 million settlement in 2022 in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement.
McMahon retired in 2022 amid the hush money scandal related to a probe into alleged misconduct with female employees at the company.
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