Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee, Janel Grant, today filed a complaint in U.S. District Court against WWE founder, Vince McMahon, as well as former head of WWE talent relations, John Laurinaitis, and the organization itself. Grant is claiming violations of Trafficking Victims Prevention Act, Negligence, and Civil Battery, among other allegations, in relation to alleged sexual and emotional abuse suffered during her employ.
“Today’s complaint seeks to hold accountable two WWE executives who sexually assaulted and trafficked Plaintiff Janel Grant, as well as the organization that facilitated or turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug,” Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, said in today’s statement. “She is an incredibly private and courageous person who has suffered deeply at the hands of Mr. McMahon and Mr. Laurinaitis. Ms. Grant hopes that her lawsuit will prevent other women from being victimized. The organization is well aware of Mr. McMahon’s history of depraved behavior, and it’s time that they take responsibility for the misconduct of its leadership.”
McMahon, 78, allegedly threatened to destroy Grant’s livelihood if she failed to meet his sexual demands, including the dissemination of pornographic materials to “thousands” of employees. In addition, McMahon and Laurinaitis are alleged to have raped Grant in a WWE conference room, ignoring her protests and saying, “No means yes” and “take it, b—ch.”
A follow-up report by Wall Street Journal alleges former WWE champion, Brock Lesnar — who also competed for UFC (capturing the heavyweight title in 2008) — is the unnamed wrestler identified in the lawsuit from Grant. McMahon allegedly shared explicit photos of the plaintiff while trying to re-sign Lesnar to a WWE contract. Lesnar allegedly requested (and received) a video of Grant urinating before attempting to arrange a “play date” that was later canceled due to inclement weather.
The lawsuit also claims McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, later discovered the ongoing abuse. Grant was allegedly “pressured” to resign from WWE and “forced” to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in return for a $3 million payout. McMahon subsequently refused to make the required payments, suggesting Grant voided their arrangement by leaking information to the media.
WWE recently merged with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under TKO Group Holdings, Inc., before striking a landmark broadcasting deal with Netflix. The popular streaming service is expected to begin airing the weekly pro wrestling product in early 2025. McMahon, who previously sold 25 percent of his TKO stock for approximately $670 million, briefly retired from WWE after allegations of sexual misconduct — and subsequent payoffs — surfaced back in early 2022.
McMahon returned to the company the following year.