AEW Fires BJ Whitmer Following Arrest For Domestic Violence
AEW severs ties with backstage producer, issues statement on arrest.
CONTENT WARNING: Domestic violence, abuse.
AEW has severed ties with producer BJ Whitmer following the former Ring of Honor wrestler's arrest on domestic violence charges.
Per Fightful, Whitmer, 45, was arrested in Boone County, Kentucky on 4 June and subsequently charged with strangulation in the first degree and burglary in the second degree. These charges state, essentially, that Whitmer stands accused of choking somebody to cause an injury, and committing non-residential burglary.
Whitmer has released on Monday, 12 June. A bond of $25,000 had been set, with BJ bound to a grand jury.
Kentucky law defines the current situation as follows:-
"... the prosecutor must prove to the judge that there is enough evidence to show that a crime has been committed. This involves presenting a minimal amount of evidence which will justify further proceedings. If the prosecutor establishes sufficient evidence, the case will be bound to the grand jury."
AEW, meanwhile, has released the following statement:-
"B.J. Whitmer has been terminated following his arrest on domestic violence charges. While talent and staff are ultimately responsible for their own personal actions, this behavior is intolerable within AEW. AEW has reached out to offer support to those impacted by his behavior."
Whitmer had been with AEW since 2019, joining the promotion after leaving ROH.