This week, The New York Times reported allegations against Lee Fitting, WWE’s Head of Media and Production, claiming he created a hostile work environment for women during his time at ESPN. Among the accusations, Fitting allegedly asked for the hotel room numbers of female staff and, on at least one occasion, encouraged a staff member to sit on his lap.
Read More About the Allegations Against WWE’s Lee Fitting
In response to the report from The Athletic, representatives for Janel Grant released the following statement:
Janel Grant’s Spokesperson Responds to New Allegations of Top WWE Producer’s Abusive Workplace History
WWE continues to cultivate an unsafe work environment by employing alleged predators and silencing survivors of harassment and workplace misconduct
NEW YORK – Today, Kendra Barkoff-Lamy, the spokesperson for Janel Grant, released the following statement on The Athletic’s new reporting of decades of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment by Lee Fitting, former ESPN Senior Vice President of Production and current WWE Head of Media & Production.
“How can WWE claim they are committed to improving the company’s culture, and at the same time, hire a man earlier this year who was accused of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment in his previous role? The allegations against Lee Fitting during his time at ESPN are extremely concerning. Revelations like this are why Janel Grant’s lawyers sent a letter to WWE and Endeavor, urging them to release all current and former employees from their NDAs. The same old boys club who enabled Janel Grant’s abuse are continuing to put alleged predators in leadership roles, and this pattern must change once and for all.”
In October, attorneys for Ms. Grant sent a letter to WWE President Nick Khan, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and Endeavor (WWE’s parent company) CEO Ari Emanuel calling on WWE leadership to waive the company’s non-disclosure agreements and allow former and current employees, wrestlers and contractors to speak out about sexual misconduct, sexual assault, harassment, workplace aggression and the toxic culture at WWE. To date, there has been no response from WWE or Endeavor to the letter.
You can read the full letter here.
Grant alleges that Vince McMahon sexually abused and trafficked her during her time with WWE, claiming the company was complicit in the actions of the former Chairman. The case was recently revived as a federal investigation into McMahon continues. A WWE spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations against Fitting when contacted by The New York Times.
