Slim Jim Pauses WWE Sponsorship, Citing “Disturbing Allegations” Against Vince McMahon

Longtime WWE sponsor Slim Jim is pausing its promotional activities with the wrestling outfit in light of what it called “disturbing allegations” against its longtime leader, Vince McMahon.

“Slim Jim values integrity and respect in all of our partnerships,” the Conagra Brands division said in a statement provided to Deadline. “Given the recent disturbing allegations against Vince McMahon, at this time we’ve decided to pause our promotional activities with WWE. This decision reflects our commitment to our brand values and responsibility to our community.”

The company left it open-ended, adding, “We will continue to monitor the situation and base our future engagements on our values and what’s best for our brand.”

The jerky maker gained fame during the 1980s and ’90s when pro wrestler Randy “Macho Man” Savage appeared in a series of its commercials. It took a stand after an explosive lawsuit was filed Thursday against McMahon by a former employee. Now executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings, the Endeavor-owned ring sports giant that is now WWE’s parent company, McMahon ran WWE for decades and built it into a multi-billion sports entertainment power. Just a day before the lawsuit, Netflix entered into a 10-year agreement with WWE, paying $5 billion for exclusive rights to linear TV’s Monday Night Raw in a milestone rights deal.

McMahon was accused by the ex-employee, Janel Grant, of a range of explicit acts, including sex trafficking and sexual abuse and assault, in the suit filed in federal court. The exec denied the claims and a TKO spokesperson said the matter was being dealt with “internally” by the company.

Sponsorship and brands are the lifeblood of WWE and Slim Jim’s move came on the eve of the Royal Rumble, a high-profile annual event in Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, TKO announced it had combined the partnership teams of the UFC and WWE into a single unit. The merger would give brands “access to one of the most formidable sports marketing portfolios in the world,” the company said.