WWE President Nick Khan has distinguished himself as a great dealmaker in recent years. Now he has to answer juicy questions about the shocking scandal
New findings surrounding the alleged system of sometimes violent sexual exploitation also incriminate the current WWE President Nick Khan – and raise questions about how much he knew about his former boss’s machinations and whether he covered them up.
WWE scandal: What did Nick Khan know?
A report by sports business portal Front Office Sports, co-authored by several well-known wrestling journalists, has revealed that Khan is one of the previously anonymous WWE executives featured in ex-employee Janel Grant’s lawsuit. He is accused of a degree of connivance and cover-up in relation to McMahon’s activities. The same accusation applies to another high-ranking decision-maker at the company: Brad Blum, the company’s COO (Chief Operating Officer).
WWE President Nick Khan, COO Brad Blum Revealed as Key Figures in Vince McMahon Sex-Trafficking Suit
By @timmarchman, @iamjohnpollock and mehttps://t.co/v78ehSivFD
– Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) March 11, 2024
Grant’s lawyers confirmed the identities of the previously unnamed managers and ex-managers revealed in the report. Among them is McMahon’s daughter and interim successor Stephanie McMahon – although she appears less prominently in the lawsuit and no legally relevant allegations are made against her.
Grant accuses McMahon and former WWE talent manager John Laurinaitis of sexually exploiting her, treating her like a commodity (among other things, McMahon is said to have prostituted her for his top star Brock Lesnar), as well as joint rape. There are also two other unsolved allegations of violent sexual assault against McMahon, made by former wrestling judge Rita Chatterton and an unnamed ex-wrestler.
Vince McMahon has finally fallen
What is certain is that McMahon – who denies Grant’s allegations – had arranged for millions in hush money payments to various ex-employees in recent years and decades to conceal sexual harassment and assault allegations.
He had resigned as WWE boss in the summer of 2022 as a result, but then returned as “Chairman” in January 2023, after the merger of WWE and UFC parent company Endeavor to form the new conglomerate TKO, the 78-year-old served as “Executive Chairman” for boss Ari Emmanuel.
Following the publication of Grant’s lawsuit with its countless shocking details, McMahon resigned, prompting TKO to distance itself: TKO President Mark Shapiro recently made it clear that McMahon “will not be coming back.”
Khan has close ties to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
However, the new revelations have also put prominent members of the current leadership in need of an explanation, most notably Khan, who has been with the company since 2020.
Former sports media agent Khan, a long-time business associate of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who recently joined TKO, has made a name for himself in recent years by arranging various billion-dollar TV and streaming deals and has established himself as a key figure in the company.
The question now is: How much responsibility did Khan take on in his working relationship with the formerly all-powerful McMahon?
“I know exactly who you are “
One particularly juicy episode in Grant’s lawsuit is that “Corporate Officer No. 1”, now identified as Khan, had clearly indicated to her that he was aware of McMahon’s relationship with her. “I know exactly who you are,” he would have said to her when she introduced herself to him.
Grant also reports that McMahon told her that same day that he had told Khan and Blum about their “connection” in a “private conversation”. Khan and Blum had “expressed concerns but were ultimately supportive”. However, one or both of them had also expressed concern about “whether Ms. Grant could be trusted”.
Khan and Blum were then also involved in the negotiations surrounding the multi-million dollar hush agreement between Grant and McMahon.
Khan denies complicity
The lawsuit document leaves it unclear how much detail Khan and Blum were supposedly aware of what Grant is accusing McMahon of. When asked by FOS, WWE stated, “WWE takes Ms. Grant’s allegations very seriously and does not tolerate physical abuse or assault.”
However, “Neither Nick Khan nor Brad Blum knew of any allegation by Ms. Grant that she was the victim of abuse or unwanted physical assault prior to the filing of the lawsuit on January 25. The lawsuit also makes no allegation in this regard.”
FOS also reports that a WWE spokesperson went further and denied that the conversation between McMahon, Khan and Blum cited by Grant “ever took place”. So the two are accusing either Grant or McMahon of lying, it’s a case of testimony against testimony.
Whether and to what extent the new revelations will become a problem for Khan and Blum remains to be seen. What is now clear, however, is that not only McMahon but also his former subordinates are now fighting for their reputations.
