Netflix is one day away from releasing a docuseries about Vince McMahon’s life and career.
Bill Simmons will serve as executive producer. Chris Smith, best known for Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, has been named director. The series, “Mr. McMahon,” will premiere on September 25th with six one-hour episodes.
McMahon left the WWE after former employee Janel Grant sued Vince McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis for alleged sex trafficking and rape. She was not filmed for the project. McMahon issued a rare statement, claiming that “a lot has been misrepresented” in the documentary. He claimed Janel Grant’s lawsuit is based on an affair he ended. Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis, issued a statement.
According to Matthew Belloni of Puck, Chris Smith was nearing completion of the project when the hush money scandal broke in the summer of 2022. They included the scandal, McMahon’s return, and eventual departure. According to the report, McMahon was concerned about the series after seeing early footage of it.
McMahon attempted to buy it back from Netflix, with TKO CEO Ari Emanuel lobbying on his behalf. They expressed concern about the documentary and how it would treat the ‘Mr. McMahon’ alter ego.
The documentary was not sold back to McMahon by Netflix.
