Brock Lesnar’s former on-screen partner Paul Heyman has told fans how they should be feeling about Brock Lesnar’s controversial WWE return.
After two years in exile due to his alleged involvement in the Vince McMahon alleged sex trafficking lawsuit, Lesnar returned to WWE programming at SummerSlam to confront John Cena on Sunday night.
Lesnar last appeared for the company at SummerSlam in 2023 and was written off television despite being one of the company’s biggest stars at the time allegedly due to his ties to the McMahon litigation.
Lesnar is not a defendant in the lawsuit, despite being named on multiple occasions in a court filing, and has not commented on the incident publicly since being named in it back in February.
The Daily Mail has requested comment from WWE on Lesnar’s status with the company in regards to his return amid the McMahon lawsuit without an immediate response.
His return has split opinions of fans, but Heyman, speaking to Ariel Helwani, told disgruntled fans they should get over their issues pretty fans quickly – because he isn’t going anywhere.
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
Brock Lesnar’s former on-screen WWE partner has told fans to ‘get over’ his controversial return at the weekend
Lesnar shocked fans when he returned to the company despite being named in an ongoing alleged sex trafficking lawsuit
Paul Heyman (left) warned fans that they ‘aren’t going to cancel’ Lesnar following his return
‘There are always going to be critics of anything that we do and very few people make it to the top in life without either making mistakes or having skeletons in their closet,’ Heyman said. ‘Obviously the decision was made that it’s time to bring back Brock Lesnar.
‘Whatever that decision is based on, I respect it. If there are critics of it, get over it. He is here, he is going to be here. And you ain’t going to be able to cancel him and I am happy to have him back because the audience is happy to have him back. If we brought him back and the audience rebelled against it, I wouldn’t be happy. But it works so I am happy about it.
He added: ‘Everything in life is met by criticism, I don’t pay attention to that,’ and, when asked if the criticism was fair, he said: ‘No. I don’t pay attention to it.’
Former WWE employee Janel Grant amended the complaint in her ongoing lawsuit in February against McMahon, who she accuses of sex trafficking her.
The amended complaint includes new disturbing allegations against McMahon and other members of the wrestling company, naming Lesnar as the wrestler he had allegedly enticed into staying under contract by using her as a ‘sexual pawn.’
In 2021, McMahon was embroiled in continued discussions with Lesnar over a return to WWE when he offered her to the wrestler and told her to create personalized sexual content for a WWE superstar, the complaint alleges.
According to the suit, McMahon shared explicit photos with Lesnar and told Grant: ‘He likes what he sees’. Then, allegedly after Lesnar agreed his new WWE contract, McMahon is said to have sent Grant a message in August 2021, telling her ‘that part of the deal was f***ing U.’
The complaint had previously detailed the allegations but had not named Lesnar, instead citing an anonymous fighter. The Wall Street Journal had previously identified the wrestler in question as Lesnar.
Former WWE employee Janel Grant accused Vince McMahon of sex trafficking her
According to the suit, McMahon shared explicit photos with Lesnar and told Grant: ‘He likes what he sees’
Heyman said: ‘Our paying audience, they are happy to see him. I’m happy to be part of a team that presents him’
Heyman, who has worked alongside Lesnar for much of the duo’s career in the company, which has spanned a number of decades, added: ‘He’s here, that’s the reality of the fact. If you were in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, you would understand that return meant a lot to that audience.
‘That audience was shocked to see Brock Lesnar come out and to see him F5 John Cena. Nobody left MetLife stadium saying, “Oh God they brought back Brock Lesnar”. People were just going nuts.
‘That’s our paying audience, they are happy to see him. I’m happy to be part of a team that presents him. Everyone has criticism in life, there are people that criticise, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, God or Gods. There is not president that has ever existed with 100 per cent approval rating.
‘There are people to this day that thought Abraham Lincoln sucked. They are wrong, but they think it. Who thought FDR sucked. They are wrong, but they think it.’
