Despite a myriad of sexual misconduct allegations against Vince McMahon, and a recent settlement with former referee Rita Chatterton, who accused McMahon of rape, John Cena still loves the Executive Chairman of WWE’s Board of Directors.
During a conversation with the Associated Press, Cena was asked about how he reconciles his feelings about McMahon with the sexual misconduct allegations against him. “No. I mean, everyone has the right to have their perspective,” Cena asserted. “I have the right to have mine. When you love somebody, you take them as imperfectly perfect as they are. We all make mistakes, we all have poor decisions. Lord knows I’ve made my collection of poor choices. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to love somebody. There’s no way I can go on record and say I don’t love Vince McMahon.”
Cena’s comments are a surprise but not a surprise. While he has often championed great causes, like breaking the all-time record for granting the most Make-A-Wish wishes, he has also found himself in controversy from time to time. Infamously, Cena apologized to the country of China after accidentally referring to Taiwan as a country during an interview promoting Fast And Furious 9. The comment created a backlash in China and the international star decided to release a video, where he spoke in Mandarin, to apologize for his “mistake.”
Many around the world rolled their eyes at Cena’s apology as he seemed to bow to the will of a communist dictatorship hell-bent on controlling speech around the world. For someone so identified with an American pastime time like pro wrestling, it felt like more than a betrayal. Sadly, for those looking for Cena to stand up and condemn McMahon’s actions, you will likely be met with the same frustration.
It’s no secret that McMahon and Cena share a close relationship. Just last week McMahon was spotted in the Gorilla position at WWE Raw and was reportedly in attendance, in part, to visit Cena. Months before that, while McMahon was away from the WWE spotlight, Cena hung out with McMahon and helped him celebrate his 77th birthday.