A significant development has emerged in the ongoing legal battle involving Janel Grant, Vince McMahon, and WWE, as all parties have jointly requested that the case be moved out of federal court and into private arbitration.
The lawsuit stems from allegations first reported by The Wall Street Journal in January 2024, when Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a complaint in Connecticut federal court against McMahon and WWE. The lawsuit included allegations of sex trafficking and other claims against the former WWE Chairman.
According to Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling, Grant, McMahon, and WWE have now reached a point where they are actively discussing a potential agreement that would shift the matter into confidential arbitration proceedings.
Thurston noted that, if approved by the court, the case would likely move out of the public eye. “pending approval from the court, sex trafficking lawsuit against McMahon & WWE will likely soon move out of public.”
As part of the latest filing, the parties submitted a joint request seeking a postponement of an upcoming court hearing that had been scheduled for June 16, 2026.
The filing states:
“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the parties respectfully submit this joint motion for a short adjournment of the upcoming hearing on Defendants’ Motions to Compel Arbitration and Plaintiff’s Renewed Motion for Leave to Serve Motion-Related Discovery, which is currently scheduled for June 16, 2026.”
The document further explains that ongoing discussions regarding arbitration could render several pending motions unnecessary. “The parties are in active discussions regarding a potential agreement to arbitrate the dispute in confidential arbitration that would moot those motions.”
According to the filing, the request is being made in an effort to conserve resources for both the court and the parties involved while negotiations continue. “They seek this relief in good faith, to avoid unnecessarily consuming the Court’s and the parties’ resources-and so they can focus on progressing the potential arbitration agreement.”
The parties have also proposed providing the court with an update on the status of those discussions within the next three weeks. “The Parties respectfully propose that the Court temporarily adjourn the hearing and allow them to file a Joint Status Report within 21 days.”
If the court grants the request and a final arbitration agreement is reached, the case would move from the federal court system into a confidential arbitration process, significantly reducing the amount of information that becomes publicly available going forward.
As of this writing, the court has not yet ruled on the joint motion, and no final agreement regarding arbitration has been announced.
PWMania will continue to provide updates as additional information regarding the case becomes available.
