John Cena has restated his fondness for Vince McMahon in a profile published Friday by the New York Times.
He made the comments in a long-form profile of the challenger for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Cena was asked what it has been like to retire from his in-ring career without McMahon being part of the company.
According to the NYT, Cena said that he was “a big believer in accountability” but that McMahon still means a lot to him.
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. I know people are going to be angry about that, but they can’t put their value on my relationship with somebody I love.
The comments echo Cena’s remarks to Howard Stern in February 2024, just weeks after Janel Grant’s lawsuit was filed. Grant accuses McMahon of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, as well as trafficking her for sex. John Laurinaitis and WWE are also named as defendants in her civil action.
McMahon denies the accusations.
In the 2024 interview with Stern, Cena said:
I can say this: I’m a big advocate of love and friendship and honesty and communication. But in the same breath, I’m also a big advocate of accountability… Right now, what I’m going to do is love the person I love, be their friend. And by that it means like, “Hey, I love you, you have a hill to climb.”
Cena’s comments on McMahon in Friday’s NYT piece form a small part of a wide-ranging, long-form profile. Elsewhere in the interview, he reflects on his decision to retire from wrestling, his evolution into a Hollywood star, and the emotional weight of playing a heel in his farewell storyline.
