Titus O’Neil and Vince McMahon Getty Images (2)
WWE’s Titus O’Neil has no problem expressing his gratitude for Vince McMahon following the release of Netflix’s docu series about the scandal-ridden former CEO.
O’Neil — who now works as a global ambassador for WWE after a lengthy in-ring career with the company — recently started watching Netflix’s six-part series Mr. McMahon, which premiered September 25 and details the legacy of McMahon, 79, who is currently under a federal probe following allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault by a former employee.
“At the end of the day, what he built cannot be erased,” O’Neil, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly Saturday, September 28, at the 2024 HollyRod Foundation DesignCares Gala in Los Angeles. “It’s sad that the situation came to what it came to, but I don’t have any bad words for Vince.”
O’Neil added, “It’s very interesting to hear different perspectives on things, but at the end of the day, I’ll forever be grateful for what Vince McMahon built, the platform that he built for so many people. He’s human, just like anyone else.”
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McMahon, meanwhile, has denied the allegations, though he stepped down from his position with the company the day after the lawsuit was filed.
“Do I condone some of the things that I’ve read? No,” O’Neil continued. “But I don’t know all the insides and outs of what’s going on and what’s not going on. All I know is that my life was changed because I had an opportunity to become a WWE superstar. So many people’s lives were changed because they had an opportunity to work for that company.”
O’Neil, who retired from in-ring action in 2021, said his interactions with McMahon have “always been professional.”
“Have we had our differences of opinion on certain things? Absolutely,” O’Neil, who is father to sons TJ and Titus and daughter Leah, added. “But at the end of the day, he essentially helped me change my life. My kids are in college because of the opportunity that I have with WWE. They went to private school. All three of my children are in college on a scholarship doing well. I’ve been able to provide a great life for my family. I’ve been able to provide a great life for the people in the community.”
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O’Neil said he began watching Mr. McMahon with a “very open mind” and argued that much of the narrative — which involves a story about McMahon drafting a storyline where he would impregnate real-life daughter Stephanie McMahon, among other sordid tales — happened before he signed with WWE’s developmental brand in 2009.
“I wasn’t there in the ‘90s, I wasn’t there in the ‘80s,” O’Neil urged. “I wasn’t there in the early 2000s. I just know I was there from 2009 to the present. I’m grateful for the people in that locker room.”
All six episodes of Mr. McMahon are available to stream now on Netflix.
– Reporting by Mike Vulpo
