Longtime World Wrestling Entertainment chief Vince McMahon paid over $12 million in hush money to four women in hopes of keeping them quiet about possible sexual misconduct, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Friday.
All four women had ties to WWE and their deals came with non-disclosure agreements, barring them from discussing their relationships with the 76-year-old pro wrestling icon, according to the Journal.
Just three weeks ago, WWE announced that McMahon had stepped back from his leadership responsibilities as the company investigates misconduct claims against him.
The Journal cited legal documents it has reviewed and interviews with people familiar with the pacts, which it says stretch back 16 years and involve payouts of $7.5 million, $3 million, $1 million and around $1 million. NBC News has not seen the documents cited or independently verified the agreements. Representatives for the WWE and McMahon could not be immediately reached for comment by NBC News on Friday.
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