AEW Accused Of More Inhumane Treatment & NDA Violation
AEW faces accusations of mistreatment and the violation of an NDA.
In June 2023, former coach and producer BJ Whitmer was fired from AEW following his arrest on domestic violence charges. Whitmer was charged with strangulation in the first degree and burglary in the second degree.
The arrest report stated that Whitmer broke into his ex-girlfriend, Jaime Hawn’s house and waited inside for her to come home. He is then alleged to have thrown Hawn his ex-partner onto a couch and strangled her. In March 2024, Whitmer was sentenced to five years probation and a 120-day home incarceration for the offences.
Hawn has now launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money after she and her three young children became homeless. Hawn has pointed the finger at AEW and a member of the promotion’s legal counsel, Chris Peck, for adding to her struggles with “egotistical and inhumane actions.”
“With a heavy and humbled heart, this plea of help comes from a now homeless mother of three, as a result of careless, egotistical and inhumane actions of AEW (All Elite Wrestling) and Chris Peck, a member of AEW’s inside legal counsel. I will do my best to explain the pure catastrophic destruction Chris Peck’s behavior has had on my life since September 2023.”
Hawn went on to accuse Peck of breaching an NDA she claims she was “forced to sign,” and of blatantly lying to the defence attorney and prosecution team.
“I was brutally assaulted, and then robbed of any chance of justice when Chris Peck breached the terms of the very NDA he forced me to sign at one of my most desperate moments. Without being subpoenaed, or having any legal obligation whatsoever, and despite the date / time stamped documentation of my every interaction with AEW, Chris Peck wrongfully provided an inaccurate description of my intentions and false context of my engagement with AEW (Megha Parekh), dating back to June 2023.
“Peck blatantly lied to the Defense attorney and the Prosecution team. AEW has been made aware of Peck’s actions, the impact his actions had on the outcome of my case, and the devastating effect it has had on my life since March 2024. AEW has had ample opportunity and time to address and take responsibility for Peck’s actions, yet they have done nothing, putting me in the most vulnerable position imaginable.”
Hawn also provided a timeline of her contact with AEW. Her initial dealings with the company and its then-Chief Legal Officer Megha Parekh in the wake of the attack were positive, with the promotion offering Domestic Violence Trauma therapy resources, a home security system, and even financial support for specialized therapy and basic living expenses.
However, when her point of contact in the company changed from Parekh to Peck, things took a turn for the worse. Hawn says Peck claimed not to have any record of anything previously discussed with Parekh, and asked her to relive her traumatic experience from the beginning. Hawn later found out from Parekh that she had transferred all of the related materials to Peck when she moved away from AEW.
AEW Legal Counsel Chris Peck Showed “No Empathy” In Dealings With Jaime Hawn
Hawn found Peck to show no empathy in their exchanges and even seemed to be accusing her of taking advantage of the situation. As there contact continued, Peck is alleged to have asked what amount of money would make things go away and for both parties to go their separate ways.
Before the signing an NDA, Hawn reached out to make sure Peck wasn’t in contact with Whitmer’s attorney, but Peck told her the attorney had requested a list of any financial assistance provided by AEW. Seemingly this list was not also provided to the prosecution for fair review.
Hawn also alleges that Peck broke the NDA by engaging with Whitmer’s defence attorney again, and stated that her intentions for engaging with AEW were “purely for financial gain.”
POST Wrestling has reported that a filing in March 2024 showed Hawn received over $40,000 in support from AEW, including a settlement. The report adds that this information means the prosecutors would have to reconsider how they approach the sentencing since they were unaware of the settlement agreement. While they anticipate the victim would testify that her emails to the promotion were for information sharing rather than seeking compensation, they believe a jury could interpret things differently.