Just when you thought WWE’s legal drama couldn’t get any messier, a fresh update to a shareholder lawsuit suggests that Stephanie McMahon may have played a key role in keeping board members from resigning in the wake of Vince McMahon’s 2022 hush money scandal.
Yes, WWE’s 2025 has already been stacked with multiple lawsuits—including Janel Grant’s case accusing Vince McMahon of sex trafficking, the Ring Boy lawsuit alleging cover-ups by both Vince and Linda McMahon, and a Delaware class action lawsuit claiming Vince manipulated the sale of WWE to Endeavor. Now, that class action suit has been updated with new details from WWE’s Board of Directors’ meeting minutes—and the findings are juicy.
Stephanie McMahon: The Voice That Kept the Board Intact?
According to the latest filing, two board members—Man Jit Singh and Ignace Lahoud—attempted to resign in June 2022, just one day after The Wall Street Journal first reported that Vince McMahon was being investigated over a $3 million hush money payment.
However, those resignations never happened, and the lawsuit claims that Stephanie McMahon played a direct role in keeping Singh and Lahoud on board. Even though she was technically on leave from WWE at the time, Stephanie was still on the Board of Directors—and allegedly left multiple voicemails and sent emails to other board members persuading them to stay.
A few days later? Stephanie officially returned to WWE as Interim CEO and Chair following her father’s resignation. Coincidence? The plaintiffs don’t seem to think so.
The Board’s Revolving Door
While Singh and Lahoud initially stayed, two other board members—Connor Schell and Erika Ayers Nardini—resigned in July and September 2022. WWE officially claimed their exits had nothing to do with the McMahon investigation, but the lawsuit suggests otherwise.
Fast forward to January 2023, and Singh and Lahoud did resign—right after Vince McMahon forced his way back into power. The lawsuit claims the two quit explicitly because they disagreed with Vince’s return.
The January 9, 2023 Meeting: How Vince Reclaimed Power
One of the most damning details in the lawsuit focuses on WWE’s January 9, 2023 board meeting. According to the lawsuit, that meeting wasn’t just about letting Vince return—it was about handing him the keys to the kingdom.
That day, Vince and the board:
✅ Approved his appointment as Executive Chair
✅ Defined his scope of power in that role
✅ Reassigned members to key board committees
And here’s the kicker—a month earlier, the board had unanimously opposed McMahon’s return. But suddenly, Paul Levesque (Triple H), Nick Khan, and Steve Koonin changed their stance and approved Vince’s comeback.
However, not everyone was on board:
❌ Board member Michelle McKenna abstained from voting
❌ Steve Pamon didn’t even attend the meeting
As for Stephanie McMahon? It’s unclear if she voted at all. But within days of the meeting, she resigned from WWE altogether. Her announcement showed no public opposition to her father’s return—just a statement saying WWE was in a “strong position” without her.
What’s Next?
This lawsuit continues to peel back the layers of WWE’s most chaotic and controversial corporate transition. While McMahon’s return was short-lived (thanks to another scandal forcing him out of TKO), these allegations could further damage WWE’s credibility—especially if the claims of misleading shareholders hold up in court.
One thing’s for sure—WWE’s legal team is getting their cardio in this year.