Paul Roma on Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Vince McMahon, Claims Talents Were Propositioned to Perform Sexual Favors

– Former WWE Superstar Paul Roma joined Banfield on NewsNation this week to address the sexual assault allegations facing Vince McMahon. WWE and former executive John Laurinaitis were also named as co-defendants in the lawsuit filed by former employee Janel Grant, alleging McMahon and Laurinaitis committing acts of sexual assault and sex trafficking against her.

During his appearance, Roma was asked if he knew about the allegations against McMahon and also claimed one of his former tag team partners was propositioned to perform sexual favors in WWE. Below are some highlights of Roma’s comments on NewsNation (via Fightful):

Paul Roma on if he heard about such behavior from Vince McMahon: “Yes. It was pretty regular. You heard it on a regular basis, for the most part. Then, you wouldn’t hear it for a while, then it would come full circle. It wasn’t so much Vince as it was the people he had surrounding him. Talking about an industry where you have young, good-looking, well-built men in the ring, half-naked, three-quarters naked. It left the door open. You have people around him; Vice Presidents, bookers, that were very much into that. That put you in a really bad situation, especially once you start making some money. You kind of get comfortable with that. Then, you find out that your job is on the line. Either do it or get fired. I witnessed quite a few that walked away. Money wasn’t worth it for them to go that route.”

Roma on talent being propositioned for sexual acts, including his former tag team partner: “They were asked to do things. Sexual things, with other men, that they did not want to do. My former partner being one of them. I was actually in a cab ride in Washington. We were coming back and the gentleman next to me kept saying, ‘It’s not worth it. It’s not worth the benjamins. It’s not worth the benjamins.’ ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘It’s not worth it.’ ‘What’s not worth it?’ ‘It’s just not worth it.’ We got back to the hotel. The next day, we’re filming for our second TV taping and he was gone. He jumped on a flight, went back home, and never showed up again to wrestle. He had an unfortunate accident, hit his head, and passed away while he was asleep. He had a bleeding of the brain.”

On what he was told by his former partner that wasn’t worth it: “He didn’t tell me who. He just told me what. To do what they wanted him to do. … Sexual favors. My former partner, one of my former partners, when I was part of the Young Stallions, he was propositioned. He said he went to one of the agents and told him what had happened. I said, ‘Why would you do that? You just ratted on both of us.’ He kind of threw us both under the bus, just starting out.”

On likely being propositioned by WWE executives: “Let’s leave it this way. That’s all it could be. If someone is going to give you money, it had to be that. There is nothing else. It’s not going to be one of the other boys that you’re wrestling with. They’re not going to offer you money. Even my former partner. Same thing, they offered him money, drugs, just lay on your back and you don’t have to do a thing. He came running right to me when I came into TV, and I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘I already spoke to Arnold.’ ‘Why would you do that? You killed our team. What do you think he’s going to do? He’s going to go to the people that propositioned you. What do you think is going to happen to them? Nothing.'”

On if he knows the incident in WWE that Mario Mancini alleged is “worse” than some of the Janel Grant allegations: “I really shouldn’t, right now, but yes, I do know what it is. It is worse.

On he and Mancini being surprised that no one has come forward for it yet: “Just that Mario and I are really surprised. We spoke about it. We’re surprised that no one has come forward, but on the flip side, they’re of an age now that they’re maybe married, have kids, and they don’t want to open Pandora’s box. I can’t blame them. I said that to Mario. ‘Can you blame them? Would you really want to open this up? No. You wouldn’t want to open it up.'”

As noted, McMahon has denied the claims made against him. He resigned from his position as Executive Chairman of the Board of WWE parent company TKO last month.