John Oliver ripped Vince McMahon's use of "independent contractors" and called on fans to push for change on Sunday's episode of "Last Week Tonight."
- John Oliver called out the Vince McMahon and the WWE on Sunday for their treatment of wrestlers as "independent contractors" with the company.
- Oliver outlined a number of issues the distinction causes, centering around the health and well-being of wrestlers who have retired or otherwise left the company.
- WWE responded on Monday, saying that Oliver had "simply ignored the facts" in his segment.
John Oliver called out Vince McMahon and the WWE on Sunday for their treatment of wrestlers and their status as "independent contractors" with the company.
During an extended segment on "Last Week Tonight," Oliver explained how WWE was able to avoid providing wrestlers with benefits including paid leave and medical expenses by designating its employees as independent contractors.
Oliver notes that the company's claim that wrestlers are independent contractors is flimsy when compared to the legal definition of the term. He also gave numerous examples of wrestlers who have felt as though the company had taken advantage of them, before closing the segment by calling on fans to make their voice heard with chants and signs at WrestleMania to let McMahon know that they care about the treatment of their favorite WWE performers.
You can watch the segment in its entirety below.
On Monday, WWE responded to Oliver's segment.
In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, WWE claimed that Oliver "simply ignored the facts" during the broadcast.
"John Oliver is clearly a clever and humorous entertainer, however, the subject matter covered in his WWE segment is no laughing matter," the statement read, per THR.
It continued:
"Prior to airing, WWE responded to his producers refuting every point in his one-sided presentation. John Oliver simply ignored the facts. The health and wellness of our performers is the single most important aspect of our business, and we have a comprehensive, longstanding Talent Wellness program."
WWE ended its statement by inviting Oliver to WrestleMania on Sunday to "learn more about our company."
It seems unlikely that Oliver will take them up on the offer, but Jon Stewart once hosted WWE SummerSlam in New York, so really, you never know. Anything can happen in wrestling.
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