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Ashley Massaro recently died. Her affadavit when she sued WWE includes her being encouraged by Vince McMahon not to report that she was drugged and raped by US military staff while on tour in Kuwait. Content warning - this is sickening reading. (1/2) 
Some further details around WWE head Vince McMahon and her being discouraged from pursuing anything. Also worth taking note of how the culture made her fear for her job. Full affadavit here: wweconcussionlawsuitnews.com/wp-content/upl…
It's also worth noting the links between concussions and depression/suicide. This is an area being researched, but the lack of care around a traumatic situation cannot have made life easier.
The lawsuit, it is worth noting, was thrown out. WWE claim Massaro contacted them to apologise about being part of the lawsuit.
theblast.com/wwe-ashley-mas…
theblast.com/wwe-ashley-mas…
Whether or not the lawsuit was frivolous, I am shocked by this story. And it seems like it's worth more specific investigation. At the very least, a journalist may want to find out if the people mentioned support or deny her story.
Personally, I'm sickened by this story. It's horrendous. And, if true, her being encouraged to say nothing to avoid the company looking bad, or damaging a partnership with the military, is utterly shocking.
I would very much like some journalists to follow this up.
Also, it's worth noting that apologising for being part of a failed lawsuit and saying she should have contacted them first is not the same as saying the events didn't happen.
Hat tip to @BenSohawon for sharing this - it's how I found out about it.
For those who aren't fans, some context here might be important. WWE was, for almost 20 years, the only game in town. There are other promotions, but WWE was a giant. Almost nobody wants to burn their bridges with them.
You'll hear a lot of wrestling fans say 'I don't support the company, but I want to support the wrestlers who work for it - I'm a fan of them'. The thing is, it's never been easier to find alternatives to watch.
I've also got to the point now where, even if I am a fan of specific wrestlers, I have to keep in mind that they are choosing to support and endorse WWE. I get it - it's a huge organisation, and for many, it's been the life-long dream. But they're choosing to do so.
If you're aware of all the shit - the Saudi propaganda, the Ashley Massaro story, the 'independent contractor' bullshit, the Jimmy Snuka story, the Trump connections (including their participation in his 'foundation' scam) - and you still support/watch them? You're choosing to.
WWE put out a statement after Massaro's death stating that she apologised for being part of the lawsuit. That's not a denial it happened. They rehired the only person involved who wasn't already employed by them, so all the witnesses have a personal stake involved.
Since some have asked why this wasn't a story before, my understanding is that the affadavit wasn't publicly released until she passed away. The previous version of the story was far more vague, so people didn't generally know the full severity of the attack.
