Since being accused of multiple forms of abuse and misconduct in the lawsuit Janel Grant filed against him, WWE, and former company executive John Laurinaitis in January of last year, ex-WWE CEO & Chair Vince McMahon’s only notable public appearance was at the Super Bowl in New Orleans last month.
Now, the 79-year-old McMahon has been spotted at another sporting event. Last night (March 17), he was courtside for the New York Knicks NBA game against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. McMahon was wearing green for St. Patrick’s Day, and his attendance was shown on the Miami telecast. No mention of his scandals, or WWE. A chyron shown along with his image simply read, “former wrestling promoter.”
No reported correlation, but Monday night’s game was also delayed when comedy legend Tracy Morgan vomited on the court from his front row seat on the opposite side of the arena.
In addition to the ongoing Grant case, McMahon is also being sued by several victims of what’s become known as the “Ring Boys Scandal”. That suit accuses Vince and co-defendants WWE, its parent company TKO Group, and Vince’s estranged wife, former WWE CEO and current Secretary of the United States Department of Education, Linda McMahon, of negligence and enabling a culture of abuse under which multiple teenage boys were victimized by other WWE employees in the 1980s and 1990s.
Recent reports have indicated that Vince is looking to get back into the entertainment business, with rumors circulating he could be starting a production company for television and film, or even a new wrestling promotion. After initially completely severing ties with McMahon in the wake of Grant’s suit, TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro shared last fall that he’s again in communication with McMahon, who remains a significant shareholder in the Ari Emanuel-led company.