McMahon, the CEO’s executive character, kept things short.
“It’s a great honor to stand before you here tonight,” McMahon told the audience in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
McMahon told the audience that he was there to simply remind the audience of the four words that make up his “WWE signature”.
He said, “These four words are ‘then,’ now, ‘forever,’ and the most important word is ‘together.’” “Welcome to Smackdown!”
McMahon then left the ring where his lead song “No Chance in Hell” was played.
The company said in a statement Friday that his daughter Stephanie McMahon will serve as interim CEO and president.
As for McMahon’s inner personality, he’s not going anywhere at the moment. McMahon will retain his role in relation to WWE’s creative content and will appear as his character during matches as the investigation begins.
A severance agreement was reportedly struck in January between McMahon and the unnamed former employee. The employee, who has been appointed as a paralegal, was prohibited “from discussing or belittling her relationship with Mr. McMahon,” according to the magazine.
The newspaper said the investigation, which began in April, “revealed other, older nondisclosure agreements relating to allegations by former female WWE employees of Mr. McMahon’s misconduct”. Other allegations of misconduct have reportedly been found against John Laurinitis, the company’s head of talent relations.
“I have pledged my full cooperation in the investigation of the Special Committee and will do everything in my power to support the investigation,” McMahon said in a statement on Friday. I also pledged to accept the findings and results of the investigation, whatever they may be.”
“It is very important to me that we have a safe and collaborative workplace,” he said. “I have committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Commission complete its work, including enlisting the cooperation of the entire company to help complete the investigation and implement its findings.”
As his Friday appearance on “Smackdown” shows, McMahon has been an integral part of WWE for decades, both as an executive and as a wrestler himself.
CNN Business’s Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.
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