Non Disclosure Agreements

Hey, Scott:


In light of the Cody Rhodes statement (and, more famously, CM Punk’s rant on Cabana’s podcast) and considering the company’s obnoxious emphasis on "protecting the brand", do you know if WWE ha​s ever considered including non-disclosure agreements in their talent contracts? Essentially some sort of enforceable "gag order" that would prohibit talent from speaking negatively about WWE or its employees in perpetuity?

Since WWE holds all the financial/employment leverage with the overwhelming majority of its talent, it seems they could "convince" talent to agree to this as a condition for working for the most recognizable wrestling brand in the universe. After a clubhouse attendant with the New York Yankees wrote a tell-all book about the locker room a few years ago, the Yanks now mandate that employees sign non-disclosure agreements, so it *could* be done in sports. Or "sports".

​Way out of my comfort zone with that one, I’m afraid. I’ve never heard of one specifically, but given that wrestling is built on paranoia about secrets and such, it’s almost a given that guys won’t name names anyway. What exactly would they be agreeing not to disclose, I wonder? I mean, if there’s stuff going on that’s illegal, that would override a non-disclosure, I’d assume?

I feel like this would better answered by Chris Bird or some other actual legally experienced person on the blog.​