World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Executive Chairman Vince McMahon will pay a multimillion-dollar legal settlement to a former referee who accused him of raping her.
The settlement with Rita Chatterton, the first female referee of the largest wrestling promotion, was completed last month, according to a Wall Street Journal report Thursday, citing people familiar with the agreement.
Chatterton demanded $11.75 million in damages for the alleged 1986 rape in a November letter to McMahon’s attorney reviewed by the Journal. The legal arrangement, which is believed to be significantly less, comes as McMahon pursues a possible sale of the company
WWE,
he has overseen for decades.
“Mr. McMahon denies and always has denied raping Ms. Chatterton. And he settled the case solely to avoid the cost of litigation,” said Jerry McDevitt, a lawyer for McMahon.
Chatterton’s lawyer, John Clune, declined to comment. WWE didn’t respond to requests for comment, the Journal reported.
Last year, McMahon agreed to pay $3 million to a former WWE employee with whom he allegedly had an affair, the Journal reported. In 2018, McMahon reached a $7.5 million settlement with a former wrestler who claimed McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex.
McMahon has declined to publicly comment on the settlements.
See also: WWE streaming on Netflix or Amazon? One analyst says it’s possible
