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The name of Vince McMahon is once again at the center of controversy following the emergence of new accusations linking him to former WWE star Ashley Massaro. Former WWE writer Dan St. Germain claimed on the Bein' Ian podcast that McMahon engaged in sexual acts with Massaro during a European company trip, even going as far as forcing the roster to witness the scene.
According to St. Germain's account, McMahon allegedly initiated sexual behavior with Massaro on board the plane and, upon arrival, ordered the entire team to go out onto the runway while the plane was rocking due to the 'activity inside'. "Vince had sex with a girl in front of everyone. They went to Europe and he started groping Ashley Massaro on the plane. Then, when they arrived, he told them: 'Everyone out to the runway'. And there they saw how the plane moved from side to side while he continued inside with her," he declared.
The testimony has caused a stir by adding to the history of controversies surrounding Massaro's time in WWE. After her death in 2019, a sworn statement (no longer available online) came to light in which the wrestler claimed that the company covered up a sexual assault she suffered at a military base during a 2007 tour. WWE categorically denied those accusations at the time, and John Laurinaitis publicly distanced himself from any involvement.
St. Germain's words, combined with Massaro's previous allegations, reinforce a troubling view of how she was treated during her time with the company. McMahon's figure, already questioned due to multiple lawsuits and accusations of inappropriate behavior, once again finds itself under a negative spotlight that threatens to grow if more voices decide to come forward.
This is an especially sensitive issue that could trigger new reactions both in the wrestling industry and in the public opinion, at a time when McMahon's legacy is going through one of its most controversial phases.
According to Ashley Massaro's sworn statement, the wrestler traveled with Maria Kanellis, Ron Simmons, and Jimmy Hart to Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia to show WWE's support for the U.S. troops. At the beginning of the trip, Massaro received "harsh treatment" from some Saudi men, although she noted that Kanellis emerged unscathed from the incident. Upon arriving in Kuwait, she began experiencing cramps as a result of menstruation, so she requested to rest in an air-conditioned military 4x4 vehicle. The base's military personnel insisted she was suffering from dehydration, so she was taken to the infirmary until a doctor arrived, where an intravenous line was placed.
While Jimmy Hart and the rest of the team took a break to eat, a man dressed in an orange shirt and military pants entered the room, accompanied by a woman. He introduced himself as a doctor from the U.S. Navy, although he was not wearing the same attire as the other medical staff. The man administered an unknown substance to Massaro's arm that paralyzed her, immobilizing her body and preventing her from speaking. The woman then transported her to another room and placed her on a table. He then proceeded to rape and sodomize her violently.
Finally, Massaro revealed that Vince McMahon took an interest in the case in the same way he would with a common injury. "He didn't want to damage WWE's reputation by bringing this to light, so he pressured us to stay silent." "He treated us as if we were replaceable objects. WWE's priorities seemed to be generating profits and avoiding responsibilities, regardless of how it might affect its workers," she concluded.
The former wrestler ultimately chose to remain silent. Pressure from WWE, fear of losing her job, and lack of information about her assailant prevented her from pursuing her desire to investigate the case. However, when she learned that a lawsuit was being prepared against the company for concealing the risks of brain concussions, she decided to join the cause, "upset by the company's interest in silencing and mistreating its workers."
Now that Vince McMahon has made headlines for his sexual scandal, it is worth noting that Paul London once hinted that Ashley Massaro turned to him because she was terrified as Vince McMahon forced her to board the WWE official plane with him and other company executives. It is rumored that undesirable things happened on those flights, although it has not been proven yet.
"I remember, specifically, many times when she did, she would cry to me because Vince (McMahon) would propose to fly on the plane with them, accompanying guys like Kevin Dunn. They told her she had to fly on the plane with them. They always put the divas in the TV hotel and had been knocking on her door trying to get her to respond."
Ashley Massaro was found dead in her home in Long Island on May 16, 2019, at just 39 years old. Several sources reported that the cause of death was an apparent suicide by hanging.
However, the Suffolk County coroner did not issue an official cause, citing a state law that protects privacy and allows withholding information that "would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
