ENTERTAINMENT
Why has Vince McMahon criticised Netflix’s documentary ‘Mr. McMahon’?
Ex-WWE boss McMahon, who participated in the project, has released a statement lambasting a new docuseries on his rise and fall.
Vince McMahon, the former chief of Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), has criticised an upcoming documentary on his rise and fall, claiming he is “misrepresented” by the series’ “deceptive narrative”.
Entitled Mr. McMahon, the six-part Netflix documentary draws on 200 hours of interviews with McMahon himself, conducted before the 79-year-old resigned from WWE amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Directed by Chris Smith, the series also talks to other major WWE names such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan and John Cena, and sits down with members of McMahon’s family, business associates, and journalists who have covered his career.
What did McMahon say about Netflix doc?
“I don’t regret participating in this Netflix documentary,” McMahon said on Monday, in a statement on the social-media platform X. “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 title and promos alone make that evident.
“A lot has been misrepresented or left out entirely in an effort to leave viewers intentionally confused. 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.
“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’.
“I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story.”
In January 2024, McMahon resigned as executive chairman of TKO, the parent company of WWE, after a former WWE employee, Janel Grant, filed a lawsuit alleging that he and another ex-executive, John Laurinaitis, had sexually assaulted and trafficked her. McMahon and Laurinaitis deny the allegations.
In June 2022, McMahon had stepped away from his role as WWE’s CEO and chairman amid an internal investigation into alleged hush-money payments made to women, before returning as executive chairman in January the following year. He then became executive chairman of TKO after WWE merged with the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in April 2023.
Grant attorney blasts “delusional” McMahon
Responding to McMahon’s statement, Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, said: “Vince McMahon physically and emotionally abused, sexually assaulted and human trafficked Janel Grant for more than two years. Calling his horrific and criminal behaviour ‘an affair’ is delusional and nothing more than a sad attempt to save his shredded reputation. Although Ms. Grant has not seen the ‘Mr. McMahon’ docuseries, we hope it shines a bright light on his abhorrent and criminal actions by accurately portraying the realities of his abusive and exploitative behavior.
“Ms. Grant will no longer bear silenced by McMahon. Her story, though deeply troubling and exceptionally, painful, is one that can help other abuse survivors find their voices. We seek to hold McMahon, John Laurinaitis and WWE accountable and to give Ms. Grant her day in court.”
Mr. McMahon - watch the trailer:
When does Mr. McMahon premiere?
Mr. McMahon is scheduled for release on Netflix on Wednesday September 25. As is customary on the streaming platform, all six episodes in the series are will be made available at once.