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Editor’s Warning: This story includes details of a disturbing nature.
A former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee has sued Founder Vince McMahon for sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking, claiming WWE "actively sought to conceal the wrongdoing.”
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday and first reported by The Wall Street Journal, includes accusations from former employee Janel Grant that McMahon offered her long-term employment and promotion opportunities in exchange for a physical relationship.
McMahon resigned from his post as Chair at WWE's parent company TKO Group Holdings on Friday.
The suit claims that she was trafficked to workers inside the company, such as former Wrestler John Laurinaitis, who worked in the WWE talent relations department.
Grant was also allegedly trafficked to non-WWE wrestlers in an attempt to lure them to the company.
The relationship, according to the suit, began in 2019 with McMahon offering Grant “promises of a yet-to-be-determined” role.
However, meetings “ostensibly about a potential job at WWE” reportedly broke personal boundaries, with McMahon supposedly offering “a physical relationship in return for long-promised employment at WWE.”
Several shocking accusations of a highly graphic nature are then made, including psychological torture, physical violence, sexual assault, and trafficking. The suit alleges Grant was “exploited during her time of employment with WWE” and the victim of “countless depraved and humiliating acts.”
Ann Callis, Grant’s Attorney, says in a statement to CNN that the lawsuit seeks to “hold accountable two WWE executives who sexually assaulted and trafficked Plaintiff Janel Grant.”
Callis: WWE “turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug”
The suit throws the spotlight on WWE as much as it does McMahon, alleging WWE “actively sought to conceal the wrongdoing.”
Callis’ statement also claims WWE “turned a blind eye to the abuse” and swept it under the rug. “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,” she says.
The lawsuit follows an earlier investigation by WWE into alleged misconduct by McMahon in 2022.
The investigation by WWE’s board of directors looked into allegations that McMahon offered a secret $3 million settlement to a former employee after an affair, which prevented the then-unnamed employee from discussing the relationship with McMahon.
This reportedly led to further nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) being discovered alongside other claims of misconduct against Laurinaitis.
Grant is now seeking to void her NDA and claims McMahon only paid her $1 million. She also claims during the investigation she was never interviewed or asked to provide any documentation.
The suit also alleges that the abuse continued even after Grant left the company and had agreed to the NDA. “McMahon continued efforts to exploit her, including attempting to traffic her to a WWE star.”
Two months before the conclusion of the WWE investigation, McMahon was re-appointed as the chair of TKO, having stepped down from his role as CEO at the beginning of the investigation in June 2022.
WWE said McMahon would pay the company back for any costs as a result or in connection with the investigation, totaling $17.4 million.
A statement from TKO said McMahon has does not control TKO or oversee day-to-day operations at WWE. “While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally,” the statement reads.
A spokesperson for McMahon made a statement to Deadline following the suit. “This lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth,” it says.
Callis hopes this case will be a wake-up call for WWE and prevent other women from being victimized.
