In the words of Good Ol’ J.R., “Business is about to pick up.” The real-life drama surrounding WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon’s $3 million hush-money payment to a former employee that he allegedly had an affair with is apparently going to spill over into Friday, June 17’s edition of “WWE Smackdown” on Fox. The exec has reportedly “thrown out” the script for the TV event and will appear in character as Mr. McMahon to address his upcoming leave of absence. You can witness all of the craziness with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM.
How to Watch Vince McMahon on ‘WWE Smackdown’
- When: Friday, June 17 at 8 p.m. ET
- TV: Fox
- Stream: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM
About ‘WWE Smackdown’
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the WWE’s board was investigating the company’s CEO and chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon over multiple settlements paid out to former female employees who alleged misconduct by the exec. The claim that led to the investigation stems from a $3 million payment made to a former WWE paralegal who allegedly had a consensual, sexual relationship with McMahon after being hired by the company in 2019.
Not only is the investigation focused on the interpersonal misconduct, but it is also examining the misallocation of company funds to make the settlement payment.
In exchange for the money, the woman signed a nondisclosure agreement preventing her from speaking about the relationship or disparaging McMahon publicly. The board has reportedly also discovered multiple, older NDAs from similar situations. The investigation also extends to the WWE’s head of talent relations John Laurinaitis — formerly known as the wrestler Johnny Ace.
On Friday morning, it was announced by the company that McMahon would temporarily take a leave of absence from his position with the WWE during the investigation and that his daughter Stephanie McMahon — who herself had recently stepped away from active involvement with the WWE to spend more time with her family — will take over in his stead. While that is all fairly standard corporate crisis management, McMahon went full wrestling heel by reportedly tearing up the script for Friday’s episode of “Smackdown” and opting to appear on the show as his on-air alter-ego Mr. McMahon to explain his upcoming absence.
While pro wrestling has always done its best to blur the lines between kayfabe and reality, depending on how McMahon approaches this live TV appearance, it could rise to an all-new level of meta performance. It will be interesting to see how the WWE announcers on the broadcast, Michael Cole and Pat McAfee, handle this undoubtedly awkward situation. However it all goes down, you can watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM.
How to Stream Vince McMahon’s ‘WWE Smackdown’ Appearance for Free on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, and Android
There are six major streaming providers that offer Live TV Streaming. Five of these providers allow you to watch Vince McMahon’s appearance on “WWE Smackdown” live on FOX using iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Web. They are DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
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| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
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