Triple H Reveals Vince McMahon Tried to Ban His Relationship With Stephanie McMahon

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have been a couple for nearly 25 years but it all began as part of one of WWE’s most infamous storylines back in the 90s. Interestingly enough, it appears Vince McMahon banned them from dating in real life and even tried to test Triple H to see how far he was willing to go for his daughter.

While speaking on the Flagrant podcast, Triple H shared how the idea of marrying Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie, started as just a storyline. At the time, Vince was a good guy on TV and very angry with Triple H. He even made a rule that Triple H could never fight for the world title again. So Triple H started thinking of ways to get back into the title picture.

Triple H went to Vince with a wild idea. Right before Stephanie’s planned wedding to Test, they would show her having a big bachelorette party on TV. Triple H would crash the party, secretly put something in her drink, and when she passed out, he’d take her to a drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas and marry her and he’d film the whole thing.

“I know they’re trying to figure out a way to get out of this wedding thing. Vince was a babyface at this time. And he has said, like, ‘I can never have another chance at the title.’ Like, he’s so pissed off at me, he bans me from getting world title shots. But we’re in the middle of the storyline. So one day I go to him, and I’m just thinking about our stuff, right? Like, how do we get back to getting me in that mix after everything we’ve done.

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And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking about that too.’ And I’m like, ‘The thing with Steph…’ I said, ‘Well, what if, you know, right before she’s going to get married, she has a bachelorette party. You blow it out, like, some big story on TV. She has this bachelorette party, but I show up and—different time frame—I’m making you your drink and while she’s unconscious, I said, you have it in Vegas, I drive her through one of those wedding chapel things and I end up—like, nobody knows about this—but I filmed all of it. And now, when the wedding happens, right when they say, “Speak now or forever hold your peace,” I come out and I’m like, “Hold on a second. She can’t marry him because she’s married to me!” And I show the footage. And holy shit, I’ve ruined your life.’

And now we create this storyline where, like, in order to get your daughter this wedding annulled so she can marry the other guy, you and I have to fight. And if I beat you, I get the world title shot. If you beat me, I annul the wedding.”

As they worked more closely together on screen, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon started spending more time together backstage. She was curious about how matches were put together and wanted to learn, so she was around him a lot. Triple H’s mom even asked him if something was going on between them, saying she could see it in his eyes and Stephanie’s mother asked her the same thing.

Eventually, Vince McMahon started to notice too. Triple H believed McMahon actually liked the idea of them being together and maybe even encouraged it. But later on, Vince McMahon told them they had to stop seeing each other in real life, saying it would cause problems for business, even though they were already secretly dating.

“So there’s other things going on, but this becomes the thing. And the McMahon-Helmsley Era becomes the main crux of the story, you know. Like, I fire Mick Foley, and I end up in a match with him, and get him retired—and all this stuff happens. But sort of at that point in time, this is how Steph and I get to know each other. Because she’s like—if I have a match, she just wants to be there to hear how it all gets put together and how it’s going to work. So she’s around all the time, right?

And what’s a funny part of the story is, I’m talking to my mom one day on the phone and she’s like, ‘What’s going on with you and that Stephanie?’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ And she’s like, ‘I don’t know. You’re not that good of an actor. I can see it in your eyes. What’s going on there?’ And I’m like, ‘This is Vince’s daughter! Like, nothing’s going on. Don’t be crazy. Don’t be presumptuous here.’

I don’t know this at the time, but Steph’s mom says to her, like, ‘What’s the deal with you and Triple H?

And she’s like, ‘What are you talking about? It’s one of the boys. Nothing.’ And she’s like, ‘I don’t know. I see it in your eyes, the way you look at him and stuff like that. You sure there’s not something…?’

You know, my mom, her mom—both see it on TV. But neither one of us knows. Dad’s got no clue. But Steph will say this—and I say this—I believe he started to see it. And I believe he actually liked it and was trying to push us.

And then there becomes a time when we do get together, and then there’s a time where he takes that away—like, ‘It’s going to cause too much problem in the business. You guys can’t… you can’t see each other.’ Even though we’re already seeing each other at the time. I don’t remember the exact timing of it, but yeah—they’re starting to sort of get it.”

Triple H believed Vince was testing him to see if he really cared about Stephanie McMahon. Triple H said this wasn’t some plan to climb the ladder in WWE; it was a big risk. He knew if it didn’t work out, his career might be over. But he also felt that when you meet the right person, you have to take the chance.

So while the storyline kept playing out on TV, behind the scenes their real relationship was starting, and everyone’s attitude toward Triple H started to change. It became the beginning of the real-life relationship between Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

“I believe there’s a lot of that. That he was like, ‘No, you guys can’t see each other anymore. Let’s see if he really likes my daughter. Let’s see what he’s willing to go through to get it.’

And you know, for me at the time—I’m sort of gambling everything. You know, when people say like, ‘Oh, well that’s how he got the position,’ and all that s***—no. I’m not f****** gaming. I’m gambling. If this doesn’t work out, I’m f******.

Like, I’m done. But at the same point in time, it’s like—you know when you meet the right person, you gotta go for it. You meet the right person. And yeah—it becomes this… yeah. It’s just this crazy time. So we’re kind of doing this s*** on TV, and now everybody’s attitude toward me is changing.”

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s story started as a made-up romance on WWE during the Attitude Era, but over time, it turned into a real relationship. Even with pressure from the company, their families, and fans watching their every move, they stayed strong together. Their story shows that sometimes, fake storylines can turn into real love and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

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