Jake Leonard 
Vince McMahon is seeking a return to power in WWE, according to a story last week. Several sources within WWE confirmed a story published in the Wall Street Journal.
The potential return has also become a major subject of discussion among WWE talent and employees.
This story noted a demand letter on November 3 from a lawyer for former referee Chatterton for $11.75 million to WWE’s legal counsel and McMahon’s personal attorney Jerry McDevitt.
Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer detailed (subscription required) from the article that Chatterton’s claim stems from an incident involving McMahon raping her in the back of his limo. A copy of the letter was given to the WSJ.
Chatterton, a referee during the 1980s, was not the only person to submit demand letters. A lawyer representing a former spa manager also submitted a legal letter to McDevitt’s office, claiming that McMahon assaulted her client at a California resort in 2011.
Sources close to McMahon have stated that McMahon will not pay out settlements to either individual.
Deloitte and Touche LLP, WWE’s auditor, has advised the company that any potential settlement, in either case, will need to be publicly disclosed, not only to its board of directors but also to its shareholders.
The crucial part of the story is despite these newfound allegations, McMahon has told people that he intends to return to the helm of the company. In addition, he believes that he “received bad advice” from people close to him to resign. Furthermore, he also believes that the allegations and investigations against him would have blown over had he not left the company.
Since McMahon’s resignation, CEO Nick Khan, daughter Stephanie McMahon, and son-in-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque have been running the day-to-day operations of the company.
Further details on the recent allegations are available in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We will report on this story as additional details are available.
