John Cena has once again addressed his relationship with Vince McMahon, saying he feels no guilt or shame about remaining friends with the former WWE Chairman despite the serious allegations against McMahon.
Speaking with The Guardian while promoting Matchbox: The Movie, Cena was asked about McMahon, whom the publication described as a mentor who supported Cena’s career and provided him with a second family during his years traveling with WWE.
Cena made it clear that his feelings toward McMahon have not changed. “I have no guilt nor shame about my friendship and my relationship with Vince McMahon,” Cena said, adding, “you’re obviously going to put this in [your] article. It’s OK to love somebody when they’re not perfect.”
McMahon resigned as Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company, in January 2024 after former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a federal lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. WWE was also named as a defendant.
McMahon has denied the allegations. This summer, the parties agreed to move the dispute out of federal court and into private arbitration.
Cena has been questioned about his relationship with McMahon on several occasions since the allegations became public, and he has consistently maintained that he continues to love his longtime friend and former boss.
Speaking to the Associated Press in March 2023, before Grant’s lawsuit was filed but amid scrutiny surrounding McMahon following reporting on hush-money payments, Cena said: “There’s no way I can go on record and say I don’t love Vince McMahon.”
In February 2024, weeks after Grant filed her lawsuit, Cena addressed the situation during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. “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.”
Cena reiterated his position in an April 2025 interview with The New York Times. “I don’t care who hears it: I love Vince. I’m not downplaying anything that needs to be decided or allegations of any kind, but when I love somebody, I love them wholeheartedly.”
When asked by Us Weekly the following month about the reaction those comments generated, Cena responded: “I’m not surprised about any of that.”
Cena’s latest remarks continue that position, with the former WWE Champion now explicitly stating that he feels neither guilt nor shame over maintaining his relationship with McMahon.
Cena is not the only former WWE star to have spoken positively about McMahon while acknowledging the unresolved allegations. JBL discussed his own relationship with McMahon on Something to Wrestle in July. “I like Vince, and I had no idea of the veracity of the case. I didn’t hear any of this when I was there. That does not mean that all of it might not be true,” JBL said.
He later added: “Those allegations may be true. I have no idea.”
JBL also credited McMahon with taking “a Northeast regional territory” and turning it “into a global power.”
While discussing the potential criticism of his comments, JBL acknowledged: “People are obviously going to take me to task over that. That’s fine.”
Neither Cena nor JBL has disputed Grant’s allegations or claimed to have personal knowledge regarding their veracity.
Cena retired from in-ring competition in December 2025 following a loss to Gunther at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C.
Matchbox: The Movie premieres on Apple TV on October 9.
