Netflix’s new docuseries delves into the controversial world of professional wrestling and the behind-the-scenes decisions made by former WWE chairman Vince McMahon. One particularly shocking moment in the series involves McMahon discussing a storyline he had considered involving his own daughter, Stephanie McMahon, getting pregnant by his character. This revelation sheds light on the extreme and controversial storylines pushed by McMahon during WWE’s “Attitude Era” in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The docuseries also features interviews with former WWE wrestlers who discuss McMahon’s penchant for pushing boundaries with controversial scripts.
Stephanie was asked about on-screen kisses, and she responded with a laugh, indicating that there were a couple but she wasn’t going to reveal any details. Her real-life husband, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who portrayed her on-screen love interest, also chuckled at the question and mentioned that there were indeed such scenes, despite his reluctance, often due to Vince McMahon’s insistence.
In the Netflix series, current and former WWE employees reveal the unspoken pressure to comply with whatever Vince McMahon asked them to do, both on and off screen. According to former WWE Women’s Champion and WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Trish Stratus, there was concern among performers that refusing McMahon’s requests could lead to punishment. Stratus shared an instance where she declined an idea from McMahon, and the following week, she lost her championship to another wrestler. This raised questions about potential repercussions for not adhering to McMahon’s directives.
In June 2022, Vince McMahon resigned as the chairman of WWE following sexual harassment allegations and subsequently announced his retirement a month later. However, six months after his retirement, he returned to WWE and reinstated himself as chairman.
During a September 2023 merger with UFC, McMahon sold a majority of his stake in the company. Subsequently, in January 2024, McMahon resigned once again as the head of WWE amid new allegations. These allegations were made in a lawsuit filed by a former employee, accusing McMahon of sexual assault, harassment, and trafficking her to other employees, including wrestlers.
McMahon has firmly rejected the allegations against him and has chosen to stop participating in interviews conducted by Netflix for its upcoming documentary following the filing of a lawsuit in January 2024. Recently, McMahon publicly criticized the docuseries, stating that it is “misleading” and “deceptive.”
