Vince McMahon Distances Himself From Netflix Docuseries ‘Mr. McMahon’: ‘A Lot Has Been Misrepresented or Left Out Entirely’

The former WWE wrestling promoter says he doesn’t regret being interviewed, but takes issue with the show’s narrative and use of a lawsuit filed against him for sexual harassment and abuse

Vince McMahon, an older man with light-toned skin, makes a grandiose pose/gesture as he stands on the stage at a WWE event.
Vince McMahon during a WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas & Mack Center Aug. 24, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo via Getty Images)

WWE co-founder Vince McMahon is looking to distance himself from the forthcoming Netflix docuseries “Mr. McMahon,” out this week.

McMahon participated in the series before he was sued for sexual misconduct and abuse by former WWE employee Janel Grant and came under federal investigation, but the former wrestling promoter put out a statement Monday critiquing the Netflix program.

“I don’t regret participating in this Netflix documentary,” McMahon’s statement begins (he sat for more than 200 hours of interviews for the series). “The producers had an opportunity to tell an objective story about my life and the incredible business I built, which were equally filled with excitement, drama, fun and a fair amount of controversy and life lessons.”

“Unfortunately, based on an early partial cut I’ve seen, this doc falls short and takes the predictable path of conflating the ‘Mr. McMahon’ character with my true self, Vince,” the businessman continued. “The title and promos alone make that evident.”

McMahon took his own reputation as a ruthless businessman to a new level by turning himself into a TV character in the late 1990s, moving from being the company’s owner and promoter to a higher-profile position as the evil “Mr. McMahon.” The move came following McMahon pulling a legitimate double-cross on one of his biggest stars, wrestler Bret Hart, before the Canadian talent was set to leave for their then-competition. As both McMahon and the company faced blowback, he started to play up the public image of who “Mr. McMahon” was and became a longtime top villain, perhaps most notably elevating the career of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as his archenemy.

“A lot has been misrepresented or left out entirely in an effort to leave viewers intentionally confused,” McMahon asserted in his statement. “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.”

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.

That has since led to Grant suing McMahon, WWE and executive John Laurinaitis for sexual abuse and misconduct in a detailed lawsuit. McMahon resigned from WWE parent company TKO Group following the filing of the suit.

McMahon’s own statement continued, “In an attempt to further their misleading account, the producers use a lawsuit based on an affair I ended as evidence that I am, in fact, ‘Mr. McMahon,’” the statement continues.

Responding to McMahon, Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis, issued a statement that read, “Vince McMahon physically and emotionally abused, sexually assaulted and human trafficked Janel Grant for more than two years. Calling his horrific and criminal behavior ‘an affair’ is delusional and nothing more than a sad attempt to save his shredded reputation.”

McMahon’s statement concluded, “I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story.”

Callis held a press conference last week ahead of the release of the Netflix series, in which she explained why Grant declined to participate in the project.

“While Janel didn’t participate in the Netflix docuseries, we hope it shines a light on the abhorrent actions of McMahon, frequently on WWE property, and it portrays the realities of his abusive and exploitative behavior,” Callis told members of the media. “Janel deserves the opportunity to tell her full story, not be part of someone else’s.”

Netflix docuseries “Mr. McMahon” comes out Tuesday night, featuring interviews with McMahon and performers from throughout the history of the company, including Austin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, his son-in-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque and more.

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