According to a report by Puck News' Matthew Belloni, Vince McMahon tried to purchase the "Mr. McMahon" docuseries from Netflix after seeing an early version.
All six episodes of the series are set to be released on the streaming service early Wednesday morning. McMahon himself took part in the project before he resigned from WWE and TKO in the wake of Janel Grant's lawsuit filed in January. The docuseries was crafted, in part, with over 200 hours of interviews conducted with the former executive chairman of WWE.
However, according to Belloni, McMahon attempted to purchase the project back from Netflix even before Grant filed her lawsuit.
He wrote, "after seeing early footage, (McMahon) actually tried to buy the project back from Netflix."
Belloni continued:
Netflix refused to let the project go, and then this past January, the worse McMahon scandal broke, when a former employee sued alleging terrible abuse. That was two days after Emanuel and Endeavor president Mark Shapiro had brokered the blockbuster $5 billion deal to bring WWE to Netflix
McMahon released a statement yesterday stating that the docuseries conflates the character he played on WWE television with his real self. He also said filmmakers used Grant's lawsuit as evidence he was the Mr. McMahon character.
"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,'" he wrote.
Ann Callis, the lawyer representing Grant, responded to McMahon's comments, writing:
Vince McMahon physically and emotionally abused, sexually assaulted and human trafficked Janel Grant for more than two years. Calling his horrific and criminal behavior "an affair" is delusional and nothing more than a sad attempt to save his shredded reputation," Callis' statement reads. "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 be 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.
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