WWE CEO Nick Khan was on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Wednesday and discussed a number of topics regarding Vince McMahon’s sudden return to the company earlier this month. McMahon initially “retired” in July 2022 amidst an investigation from WWE’s Board of Directors and inquiries from the SEC and federal prosecutors which centered around the nearly $20 million in non-disclosure agreement payments McMahon made to allegedly cover up a series of sexual misconduct allegations that stretched as far back as 2005. As of now, there are a total of seven accusations ranging from sexual coercion to alleged rape.
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Khan briefly mentioned the accusations a couple of times during the episode. At one point, he said (h/t WrestlingNews.co), “So I think as he engages in this, you know, potential transaction to have folks there that know the company, that know hey maybe certain things that happened in the past shouldn’t have happened or in a modern-day point of reference culture, which I always try to look at these things from that hey, certain things that were acceptable years ago aren’t acceptable now. I think over time you can evolve with these things and the modern-day rules should apply to modern day. I don’t think it should apply to the past.”
The subject of Rita Chatterton, a former WWE referee who accused McMahon of rape, was brought up. Simmons asked if possible suitors for buying the company are waiting to see how that and McMahon’s other legal situations will play out — “I think everyone’s just plowing ahead. Because in all of these businesses there’s never a clean, clear path. There’s always some encumbrance, something in the way, some hurdle in the way that you have to get around or get through. So I see that like I would any other item like it.”
Khan also stated that he doesn’t expect McMahon to return as of now, though that could change. It’s worth noting that when McMahon initially approached the Board of Directors about a return back in December, the Board (of which Khan is still a member of) responded by stating “it is also our unanimous view that your return to the Company at this time, while government investigation into your conduct by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and SEC are still pending, would not be prudent from a shareholder value perspective. The determination is based on a variety of factors, including non-public information that the Board has become aware of and the risks to the Company and its shareholders of placing a greater spotlight of these issues.” It’s still unclear what that “non-public information” is.
