World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) co-founder Linda McMahon has officially separated from her husband, Vince McMahon, marking the end of their decades-long partnership both personally and professionally.
Linda’s attorney, Laura Brevetti, confirmed the separation in a report by The Washington Post. The couple, who first met as teenagers, began dating while Linda attended Havelock High School in North Carolina, and Vince was a student at Fishburne Military School in Virginia. They married in 1966 when Linda was 17 and Vince was 21. Together, they have two children: Shane, born in 1970, and Stephanie, born in 1976.
This public acknowledgment of their separation is the first from either Linda or Vince. Previously, in 2022, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the couple had been separated but not divorced. At the time, neither addressed the claims, leaving questions about when the split occurred or if they are officially divorced.
Linda, who served as WWE’s CEO from 1980 to 2009, is currently facing legal troubles alongside Vince. In October, a lawsuit was filed in Maryland against the McMahons, WWE, and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, alleging negligence that enabled the exploitation and sexual abuse of the “ring boys” by a WWE employee, Melvin Phillips Jr., who served as a ringside announcer and ring crew chief.
The plaintiffs claim the McMahons were aware of the abuse and failed to act. Linda’s attorney dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless.” The accusations coincide with revelations from another lawsuit against Vince McMahon, filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, who alleges sexual assault, trafficking, and the unauthorized sharing of her nude photographs.
Vince McMahon also faces a federal investigation by the Southern District of New York, which is probing allegations of sexual abuse, trafficking, and misconduct during his tenure at WWE. According to The Washington Post, filings from WWE’s parent company reveal Vince agreed to pay $14.6 million to settle allegations of misconduct between 2006 and 2022.
This news coincides with Linda McMahon’s recent nomination for the position of Secretary of Education by President-elect Donald Trump, adding another layer of complexity to her public and legal standing.
