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Vince McMahon, WWE Founder, Resigns Amid Sex Trafficking Allegations

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Vince McMahon, WWE Founder

Vince McMahon has resigned as executive chairman of TKO, WWE’s parent company, following serious allegations of sexual assault, trafficking, and physical violence.

Janel Grant, a former WWE employee who worked at the company’s headquarters, made the claims public in a lawsuit she filed.

McMahon has refuted the charges and stated that he is prepared to defend himself in court. McMahon, however, announced his resignation in a statement released on Friday.

“Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately,” said Vince McMahon in a statement.

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Vince McMahon, WWE Founder, Resigns Amid Sex Trafficking Allegations

Reports that McMahon paid settlements to many women while serving as WWE’s CEO and chairman have circulated since at least 2022, but Grant’s lawsuit, filed on Thursday, gives additional information on the scope of McMahon’s alleged misbehaviour.

Grant claimed in the lawsuit that McMahon offered him a job at WWE and future promotions in exchange for sexual favours. Grant’s lawsuit also claims that McMahon trafficked her to men both inside and outside the organisation, including John Laurinaitus, who worked in the company’s talent relations department and is named as a defendant in the case.

The lawsuit claimed that McMahon subjected Grant to “extreme cruelty and degradation” throughout her time at WWE.

In an email to employees and a press statement, TKO addressed solely McMahon’s job status with the organisation and did not go into detail about the claims. In an email to colleagues acquired by CNN on Friday, WWE President Nick Khan stated that McMahon has resigned from his executive chairmanship and board member responsibilities.

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Vince McMahon, WWE Founder, Resigns Amid Sex Trafficking Allegations

“He will no longer have a role with TKO Group Holdings or WWE,” Khan said in an email.

Following Grant’s allegations in a lawsuit, the corporation stated on Thursday that “McMahon does not control TKO or oversee day-to-day operations at WWE.”

McMahon’s Second Resignation
McMahon’s departure signals another watershed moment for the wrestling entertainment corporation he founded more than 40 years ago.

He initially retired as WWE’s CEO and chairman in July 2022 due to sexual misconduct allegations. At the time, WWE stated that a special committee would investigate McMahon.

However, his retirement did not last very long. The probe concluded in November 2022, and McMahon rejoined WWE’s board in January 2023.

Grant’s lawsuit calls into question the culture of WWE, where she claims employees deliberately attempted to conceal McMahon’s crimes. She claimed that the special committee tasked with investigating McMahon never interviewed her or requested any papers despite Grant’s purported readiness to comply.

When WWE and its rival UFC, owned by Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel’s Endeavour Group, merged in September, McMahon previously served on the board of TKO. The merger valued the new firm at over $21 billion, with WWE shareholders controlling 49%. McMahon was WWE’s biggest stockholder.

Disturbing allegations
One distressing episode in the lawsuit described an alleged sexual assault between Grant, McMahon, and Laurinaitis at WWE headquarters in 2021. The two guys allegedly dragged Grant behind a locked door and forcibly restrained her. As she begged them to stop, one of the men allegedly said, “No means yes.”

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Vince McMahon, WWE Founder, Resigns Amid Sex Trafficking Allegations

Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, told CNN on Thursday that the lawsuit aimed to “hold accountable two WWE executives who sexually assaulted and trafficked Plaintiff Janel Grant, as well as the organisation that facilitated or turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug.”.

CNN attempted to contact Laurinaitis previously but received no answer.

New business partners.
McMahon’s departure came after WWE formed numerous profitable commercial deals recently.

This week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a former WWE wrestler, revealed his decision to join TKO’s board of directors.

McMahon announced the agreement in a statement on Tuesday. “Very few people on the planet understand the convergence of sports, entertainment, media, and business like Rock,” the former NFL player added.

As part of the agreement, WWE will pay Johnson $30 million in stock awards to help promote the brand.

Netflix recently announced that it would become the sole home of “WWE Raw,” beginning in January 2025. According to TKO’s filing, the 10-year agreement is worth more than $5 billion.

Neither Netflix nor Johnson’s reps responded to CNN’s request for comment this week.

SOURCE – (CNN)

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Gladiator II Rakes in $87 Million in Weekend Debut

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Gladiator II

Despite not playing in theaters in the United States, Canada, and China until this coming Friday, Gladiator II earned $87 million over the weekend, which is the best foreign opening for a Ridley Scott film to date.

Last week, the picture premiered in 63 countries, including the UK, and grossed $11.4 million from 722 theatres. Particularly impressive was its performance in France, where it raised $10.3 million from 729 outlets.

But this one is a little weaker compared to February’s smash hit sequel, Dune: Part Two, which grossed $97 million worldwide in its opening weekend. At the same time, Deadpool & Wolverine made $233 million for Disney, while Inside Out 2 for Pixar grossed $140 million.

The Fall Guy, an action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, earned $36.7 million in its opening weekend worldwide, while Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga earned $30 million.

Last Monday, King Charles III attended a screening of Gladiator II in London, capping off a weeks-long worldwide press tour for the film’s cast and production. A Mexican biscuit brand, Rome’s public transportation system, and a German bank VR are just a few multinational brands it has teamed up with to boost its visibility.

In Australia, dessert merchant Oliver Brown offered a special edition of pistachio-heavy puds and drinks dubbed the Emperor’s Collection. The Gladiator II salted caramel latte is available at French Coffee Shop, a business in Paris.

After poor statistics for Venom: The Last Dance and The Rock’s comedy Red One, which premiered worldwide last week, fans hope that Scott’s delayed sequel can lift the global box office for the last month and a half of the year.

Some are predicting a Barbenheimer-style struggle for the top spot in the US box office when Gladiator II and the highly anticipated musical Wicked premiere on the same day, even though double-bill events are unlikely to be very popular.

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Blizzard’s Remastered Versions Of Warcraft 1 And 2 Are Now Available On PCs.

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Warcraft
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

(VOR News) – It has been said by Blizzard that it does not intend to remake Warcraft 1 and 2 since the company believes that these games are “just not that fun any longer.”

When the corporation first made this declaration, it has been almost exactly eight years since it was delivered.

However, the firm has only recently made the news that it will be doing precisely that, and as part of the celebrations for Warcraft’s 30th anniversary, both of the remastered versions are now available to play. The celebrations did not start until today.

The public first played Warcraft in 1994.

This game played a significant role in Blizzard’s rise to the top of the competition. In the year that followed, Warcraft 2 was hastily created in order to suit the requirements of the burgeoning fanbase that the first Warcraft had established.

Additionally, the company has just disclosed that they will be remastering the games, and these remasters will contain a variety of additions to the traditional real-time strategic action that is included in the games.

The initial stage of these enhancements to the development process consists of a new collection of hand-drawn pictures that may be toggled on and off in real time. The artistic style of the originals has been said to be completely captured by these photos, according to the assertions made.

Specifically, Blizzard has implemented “modern controls” for Warcraft 1, which include the option to move with a right click, the ability to pick bounding boxes, and a faster progression rate.

These features are all present in the Warcraft game.

The alterations that have been made include these, however they are not the only ones. It is important to note that these changes have been introduced in addition to the user interface and user experience enhancements that have been implemented throughout both games.

Tool tips, health bars, mission decision screens, and increased unit selection are some of the enhancements that have been introduced in this version of the game. As an additional feature, the multiplayer mode that was included in the first version of Warcraft 2 is still included in the remastered version of the game.

As an additional point of interest, each and every one of the legacy custom maps is entirely compatible with the new edition and may be played in the same capacity.

Despite the fact that there is currently no information regarding whether or not Warcraft 1 Remastered and Warcraft 2 Remastered will eventually be made available on other markets, both of these remastered versions of the game are currently available for purchase on Battle.net for personal computers at prices of $9.99 and $14.99, respectively.

Both of these versions of the game are remastered versions of the original game. A Battle Chest bundle is also available for purchase, and it can be purchased for the price of $39.99. All of the titles that have been remastered are included in this bundle, in addition to Blizzard’s Warcraft 3: Reforged, which has been met with a considerable deal of criticism.

Blizzard has been making continual efforts to improve the game ever since it was first made available to the public in the year 2020.

This is despite the fact that the game was met with poor reviews practically immediately after it was released. An entirely new upgrade, version 2.0, is currently being made available to all gamers without delay.

One of the numerous enhancements to the quality of life that are included in this is “much, much more,” in addition to a wide range of options for personalizing the hockey experience within the game and a new ladder.

In addition to the high-definition versions of all of the older Warcraft assets, these upgrades also include new environments and lighting, a redesigned user interface, and a variety of other enhancements.

SOURCE: EG

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Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Returns Without Kevin Costner

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Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Returns Without Kevin Costner

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Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Returns
Yellowstone is finally returning for the second half of its fifth season without Kevin Costner

Yellowstone will finally return for the second half of its fifth season. We have a lot to speak about, such as recalling what is going on in this program, Kevin Costner’s departure, and whether or not season 5, part 2, will truly end Yellowstone.

Season 5 Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger—we could be in for a full-fledged Dutton family civil war—and we’ve been waiting for nearly two years.

A quick recap: nothing changes from how this program usually goes, except it’s a little more intense. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) despised Jamie Dutton. Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) despised Beth Dutton.

That has always been the case since childhood trauma, but now things have escalated. Their father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), is now Montana’s Governor, and Jamie, who should be his top legal thinker, is played by a group of local businessmen known as Market Equities.

Anyway, Jamie and Beth are attempting to kill each other, and John appears to be leaning toward Beth’s side.

Given Kevin Costner’s public exit from the program, part 2 of season 5 will be especially noteworthy. Long story short, he departed to make his Horizon films and never returned.

So, how will Yellowstone pick up the tale without John? That much is unknown, which adds to the season’s appeal!

Of course, our other characters continue to do what they do. Rip (Cole Hauser) is doing his Rip thing. Kayce (Luke Grimes) oversees the ranch. His wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), is still grieving the loss of their unborn son.

But we do have some high stakes to pick up—and they will begin on Sunday, November 10th, whether Kevin Costner appears on screen or not.

Another twist: While we believed season 5 would conclude the Yellowstone story, part 2 is in the works.

There have also been suggestions that Yellowstone could return for a sixth season, starring Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly as Rip and Beth. Hmm, certainly!

Yellowstone’s fifth season, part 2, will air each episode of the truncated half-season on Sunday nights at 8:00 PM EST.

The episodes will then be shown on linear TV, Hulu with Live TV, or the Paramount Network website and app for those with a cable subscription. The premiere will also re-air on CBS at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Yellowstone season 5, part 2, will consist of six episodes, the first of which is currently accessible to watch and stream. That implies the series might end with five more episodes of Western family drama.

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