The wrestler-turned-actor speaks of loyalty amid the damning allegations against the WWE co-founder, admitting that their friendship doesn't mean the fallout is 'any easier swallow.'
- Feb 23, 2024
AceShowbiz - John Cena will still "love the person I love" after allegations against Vince McMahon. The 46-year-old wrestler turned Hollywood star has been very vocal about his friendship with his former boss, who stepped down from WWE's parent company TKO last month following allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking, which he has denied.
Addressing the situation on "The Howard Stern Show", he said, "There's still a long way to go. I can say this, I'm a big advocate of love and friendship and honesty, and communication, in the same breath, I'm also a big advocate of accountability. If someone's behavior lies so far outside of your value system that the balance shifts of, 'I can't operate in a world where this works.' That's the end result of being accountable. Right now, I'm gonna love the person I love, be their friend. 'I love you, you have a hill to climb.' "
The "Argylle" star admitted their friendship doesn't mean the allegations and fallout are "any easier swallow." He added, "That doesn’t make any of what's going on any easier to swallow. Just telling someone you love them, it's a hill to climb, and we'll see what happens. That's that."
He insisted the situation is just a case of "one day at a time," while he has a "great relationship with the guy" and noted he has "openly" said he "loves" McMahon.
He said, "It's largely my construct of operating with honesty and communication. Those are strong leads to handling any problem or achievement... The whole thing is super unfortunate and it sucks. It deals with an individual I love and an entity I love. I want everyone to have the experience that I have. Not only do I tell a friend that I love them, but I switch to the entity and say, 'How can I help?'"
McMahon, 78, is under investigation by federal authorities, but has denied the allegations. He said in a previous statement, "I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name."
