John Cena explains why he refuses to abandon his friendship with Vince McMahon
John Cena discussed his continued loyalty to Vince McMahon despite sexual assault allegations against the former WWE chief. Cena called McMahon a mentor and said he felt no guilt or shame about their relationship.
Image: theguardian.com · Author: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alex-mistlin · source articleEditorial excerpt for news reporting
John Cena said he will not abandon his friendship with Vince McMahon, who stepped down from leadership positions at WWE and TKO Group Holdings after sexual assault allegations and lawsuits.
“I have no guilt nor shame about my friendship and my relationship with Vince McMahon,” Cena said in an interview. He added: “It’s OK to love somebody when they’re not perfect.”
Allegations against WWE’s former chief
McMahon resigned as WWE chairman and CEO and from TKO Group Holdings in January 2024. Former WWE employee Janel Grant accused him of sexual assault, coercing her into sexual acts and sharing explicit images of her without consent. McMahon denies all allegations.
In June, all parties voluntarily moved the litigation from federal court to confidential private arbitration.
McMahon’s role in Cena’s career
McMahon was Cena’s mentor, supported his career and became a second family to him during his years in wrestling. Cena debuted in WWF, now WWE, in 2000 as The Prototype and later spent 24 years with the company.
Cena also said WWE/TKO owns part of the intellectual property connected to the John Cena character. He said he had read the agreement and considered it fair.
From wrestling to Hollywood
Cena built his film career by combining physical strength with self-mockery. His credits include Trainwreck, The Suicide Squad, the Peacemaker series and Barbie.
He is now promoting Matchbox: The Movie, an Apple TV film based on Mattel’s toy-car brand. Cena plays Sean, an undercover operative whose life is built around performance.
What we know
- John Cena said he felt no guilt or shame about remaining friends with Vince McMahon.
- McMahon left leadership roles at WWE and TKO in January 2024.
- Janel Grant accused McMahon of sexual assault and other misconduct; he denies the allegations.
- Cena spent 24 years performing for WWE before expanding his film career.
- His new film Matchbox: The Movie is being made for Apple TV and is based on Mattel’s brand.
Trust: Single source
- The story relies on one publisher. A second independent confirmation has not been established from the cited sources.
- Cited links: 1. Publisher groups: 1. Sources: The Guardian Film.
- Monitoring in the past hour: 37 of 37 RSS sources; available: 36, unavailable: 1. Matching covers published stories from the past 7 days. This does not cover the entire web.
- Additional citations require matching headlines, context, event timing and accessible article text. This automatically finds related coverage; it does not establish independence or the truth of every claim.
View sources1
COMMUNITY
Discussion
Sign in to join the discussion.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.