Former WWE co‑president George Barrios discussed his decision to rejoin the company’s board and reconnect with Vince McMahon, addressing what he knew about the allegations against McMahon at the time.
Barrios, who served as WWE’s chief financial officer before becoming co‑president and was dismissed by McMahon in 2020, spoke with POST Wrestling’s John Pollock while promoting his new memoir, “Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt: How a Cuban Kid from Queens Transformed WWE.” Their conversation touched on his and Michelle Wilson’s return to the board as McMahon reclaimed a leadership role ahead of WWE’s merger with Endeavor to form TKO Group Holdings.
The return followed McMahon’s July 2022 resignation after The Wall Street Journal reported misconduct allegations and hush‑money payments—issues that later surfaced in Janel Grant’s 2024 lawsuit containing graphic claims of sex trafficking and sexual abuse. McMahon has denied the accusations.
Barrios acknowledged he was aware of the situation but did not focus on it, telling Pollock that much of the alleged misconduct predated his tenure. “I was honest; I knew about it. I wasn’t spending my time poring over the details, because many of the allegations occurred long before we were there,” he said, adding that the information was already public.
He recounted the call in which McMahon invited him and Wilson back. “I worked with him for 12 years and observed his character firsthand. When he spoke to me on that call, my experience and what I’d seen gave me confidence, and I said, ‘Yes, I’m comfortable.’”
When asked if he had read Grant’s lawsuit, Barrios confirmed he had and consulted an attorney to understand the timeline, not out of fear of litigation. “I read a lot of material. I’m not a lawyer, but I did speak to one,” he said. “Did I read it? Yes. Did I become comfortable with it? Yes. I won’t comment on anyone’s perspective, but I reached a level of comfort.”
Barrios also refuted the notion that his return was driven by loyalty to McMahon. “I’m not a loyalist to anyone. I’m actually a bit of a contrarian,” he explained. “Vince and I had an excellent business relationship—high‑performing teammates, not friends. I wasn’t there to curry favor. I’m loyal, but not a loyalist. I don’t do things just because someone asks; I do them because I believe they’re right.”
Grant’s lawsuit, which originally also named former WWE executive John Laurinaitis before he was removed after agreeing to cooperate, is now moving toward confidential arbitration after Grant, McMahon, and WWE jointly petitioned in June 2026 to take the case out of the public court system.
