As noted before, past allegations of sexual abuse committed by WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon towards former WWE referee Rita Chatterton were resurfaced this past June. These allegations were originally made in 1986 by Chatterton and were publicly resurfaced in an article last year by the New York Magazine.
Wall Street Journal reported that their sources stated that McMahon had reached a settlement deal with Chatterton this past December. This settlement revolved around a letter sent by Chatterton’s lawyer demanding $1.75 million in damages over her accusations against McMahon.
It was reported that the monetary amount settled was lower than what Chatterton demanded but the exact amount is currently not known.
It was also reported that McMahon had agreed to pay an upfront lump sum and annual installments stated to be similar to other agreements made by McMahon to other women he allegedly sexually abused throughout the years.
In an official statement to the Wall Street Journal, McMahon’s longtime lawyer Jerry McDevitt stated that “Mr. McMahon denies and always has denied raping Ms. Chatterton. And he settled the case solely to avoid the cost of litigation.”
It was also reported that the reason why Chatterton was able to demand economic damages was due to a new law recently passed in the state of New York. This new law allows victims of sexual crimes a one-year window to file lawsuits against their attackers that otherwise would have been barred due to stature of limitations issues.