Jaime Hawn, ex-partner of wrestler BJ Whitmer, has gone public with allegations of mistreatment by AEW’s legal team.
Hawn claims that AEW General Counsel Chris Peck breached a non-disclosure agreement she signed with the wrestling company in 2023. She alleged this week in a GoFundMe post that Peck shared details of communications between her and AEW, including a non-disclosure agreement, with attorneys for Whitmer, who was a defendant in a criminal trial, charged with first-degree strangulation and second-degree burglary against Hawn, alleged to have occurred on June 4, 2023.
A legal filing submitted earlier this year by the prosecuting attorney in Whitmer’s case indicates AEW shared information with Whitmer’s attorneys as part of the discovery process, leading to the disclosure of financial assistance and a settlement provided by AEW to a person whose name is redacted in the filing POST Wrestling reviewed but whose identity is consistent with that of Hawn.
Hawn, however, alleges Peck shared information with Whitmer’s counsel, “[w]ithout 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.”
AEW representatives were contacted by POST Wrestling for comment on this story, including if AEW had complied with a subpoena or other legal obligation when sharing information with Whitmer’s legal team. This report will be updated if AEW responds.
Generally, non-disclosure agreements create a confidential relationship between the parties but they don’t prevent those parties from being required to comply with subpoenas or potentially other legal proceedings.
Whitmer, who worked for AEW as a producer and coach before being let go around the timing of his charges, took a plea deal in the case and was sentenced to 120 days of home incarceration with five years of probation.
Hawn says she is a mother of three, is now homeless, and is at risk of losing custody of her children due to a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation because of her homelessness. She went public for the first time this week about her dealings with AEW’s legal team to receive aid and get back on her feet.
Hawn says in June 2023 she contacted AEW’s then-Chief Legal Officer of AEW Megha Parekh to inform her of Whitmer’s arrest. After Hawn shared details related to the incident with Parekh, Whitmer had his contract with the promotion terminated that year, following his arraignment.
Hawn wrote that in the following months, AEW provided her with therapy, a home security system, and a security detail for an Emergency Protective Order (EPO) hearing. She also describes being in conversations with AEW about “policy changes” regarding domestic violence policy within the company and raising awareness on the issue.
Hawn said she was receiving support from Parekh, however, claimed things changed once Peck took over Parekh’s role in September 2023.
Peck, who Hawn said asked her to share what had previously happened, was told to forward all of the evidence she had already shared before to him. This was a process Hawn said was retraumatizing and unnecessary since she claimed past details documented by Parekh had been provided to him already.
“There is nothing natural or reasonable about that general question when you are asking a domestic violence victim to relive and explain the trauma they barely survived,” Hawn wrote.
Hawn recalled being asked by Peck if there was a final amount that could be paid to make “this” go away.
The next time Hawn and Peck spoke, outside legal counsel representing AEW was also present. She recounted the outside attorney accusing her of threatening AEW for financial gain.
Hawn recalled being told by Peck that she had to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to receive a payment from AEW. She alleged that the deal included confidentiality for all parties unless court-ordered or subpoenaed.
It was after this agreement was signed, Hawn says, that Peck sent his details over to Whitmer’s legal team and allowed the information to be submitted in his criminal case. She claims the information was not subpoenaed, making the incident a breach of their NDA.
I, from the beginning, was not looking for anything but empathy and someone to help me out of the most challenging situation I’ve ever been in,” Hawn wrote in her post. “Megha [Parekh] lifted me up; Chris Peck painted me as a hysterical woman. The initial crime was painful enough; Peck made all my worst fears as a victim come true.
A court filing submitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Attorney’s Office on March 1, 2024, states that Whitmer entered his ex-partner’s home using a door code, leading to a confrontation during which he applied pressure to the victim’s neck, causing visible injuries. The victim, whose name is redacted in the filing we obtained but whose identity aligns with that of Jaime Hawn, contacted 911 immediately after Whitmer left the premises.
The filing also highlights AEW’s involvement in the case, stating that the company disclosed details of a financial settlement with the victim to Whitmer’s defense counsel, which became part of the case’s discovery. Prosecutors learned that the victim received financial support from AEW, amounting to over $40,000, shortly after the incident. This included a settlement agreement facilitated through communications between the victim and AEW’s legal team.
Initially unaware of the settlement, prosecutors noted that its disclosure required them to reconsider how they approached sentencing.
The Commonwealth was aware that [redacted] had been in contact with AEW shortly after the incident. However, the extent was unknown,” the prosecuting attorney wrote. “Defense Counsel first provided the Commonwealth with confirmation that [redacted] had been given financial assistance and a settlement from AEW. The Commonwealth was required to let Defense know they were unaware of any such agreement. AEW reached out to [redacted] to notify her that they had been contacted by Defense Counsel. [Redacted] then reached out to the Commonwealth to explain the timeline of events leading to that settlement.
Prosecutors anticipated that the victim would testify her emails to AEW were intended to share information rather than seek compensation. However, the prosecutors acknowledged that those communications could be interpreted differently by a jury.
