Linda McMahon confirms split from ex-WWE chief Vince as Trump pick faces sex scandal
Linda and Vince McMahon have officially gone their separate ways, a report revealed on Wednesday.
President-elect Donald Trump appointed his transition co-chair and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) co-founder Linda McMahon as his Secretary of Education on Tuesday evening.
And less than 24 hours later, her relationship status was revealed during her 58-year marriage to controversial former WWE Chairman Vince.
Linda’s lawyer Laura Brevetti confirmed that the nominated education secretary and Vince had split in a report by the WashingtonPost.
After meeting as teenagers, Linda dated Vince McMahon while the couple was in high school – while she attended Havelock High School in North Carolina, while he attended Fishburne Military School in Virginia.
In 1966, at the age of 17 after graduating from high school, Linda married Vince McMahon, who himself was only 21 years old at the time.
Linda McMahon’s lawyer confirmed that she had split from husband Vince McMahon
They have two children together: Shane, their first child, born in 1970, and Stephanie, born in 1976.
However, Wednesday’s report marks the first time either Linda or Vince have publicly acknowledged their divorce.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported in 2022 that Vince and Linda were separated, but not divorced. At that time, neither McMahon commented on the report.
But when the couple will separate and whether they are officially divorced remains unclear.
While Linda, the former CEO of WWE from 1980 through 2009, may have parted ways with her husband, she is still embroiled in a lawsuit alongside Vince.
In October, a lawsuit was filed in Maryland against the McMahons, the WWE and WWE parent company TKO, alleging negligence that allowed the group known as the “ring boys” to be “exploited and sexually abused” by a company employee.
The former WWE employee named Melvin Phillips Jr. was the company announcer and ring crew chief under McMahon.
The plaintiffs alleged that the McMahons knew they were being sexually abused by other WWE employees and did not do enough to protect them.
Newly elected President Donald Trump appointed Linda as Secretary of Education on Tuesday evening
The ‘ring boys’ lawsuit, which Brevetti labeled as “baseless,” cites that the decision to come forward now coincides with the information they learned from Vince McMahon’s lawsuit from Janel Grant, who claims he sexually assaulted her while she worked for the company. .
Vince is additionally accused of trafficking Grant to other men and sharing nude photos of the plaintiff. Grant demands unspecified damages from Vince.
Meanwhile, Vince is facing another ongoing federal investigation by the Southern District of New York into allegations that he used his position at the helm of the WWE to commit and conceal sexual abuse and human trafficking, according to the Washington Post.
Securities and Exchange Commission filings from WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, reportedly show that he agreed to pay $14.6 million in connection with “allegations of misconduct.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the money was promised to women who accused him of sexual misconduct between 2006 and 2022.
Linda is not directly involved in the last two cases.
In addition to Linda, other Trump nominees are also involved in alleged sex scandals.
Matt Gaetz, Trump’s chosen attorney general, is accused of having sex with minors. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
Linda McMahon became president of the organization in 1993 before being promoted to CEO in 1997.
Donald Trump speaks at a press conference with Linda McMahon during her time as head of Small Business Administration on March 29, 2019 during the former’s first term
Vince and Linda face lawsuit alleging negligence of sexual abuse by ‘ring boys’
One of her main interests in WWF and WWE was product merchandising, negotiating many of the company’s business deals and creating the company’s first line of action figures, Wrestling Superstars, in 1984.
It was a first in the wrestling industry and helped increase the company’s popularity among children.
She was also the chief negotiator for the World Wrestling Federation’s 2000 TV deal with Viacom.
McMahon resigned from her position as CEO of WWE in 2009 to try her hand at politics.
This led her to serve on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year, during which time she spoke about her desire to explore the education sector and become a teacher.