A woman who received a payout from Vince McMahon has come forward with a bombshell story, according to Khadeeja Safdar, Joe Palazzolo, and Ted Mann of The Wall Street Journal. Janel Grant has filed a new lawsuit accusing McMahon and a former executive of sex trafficking. According to the lawsuit, McMahon enticed her with “promises of career advancement” before exploiting and trafficking her to other men in the company.
In 2022, Grant signed an NDA, and McMahon agreed to pay her $3 million not to discuss their relationship. The NDA also stated that she was not allowed to disparage him. When contacted for comment on this story, the WSJ said it had yet to hear from McMahon or his attorney Jerry McDevitt. In 2023, McMahon denied any “intentional wrongdoing.”
According to the lawsuit, McMahon and another WWE executive locked her in an office at the company’s headquarters on June 15, 2021. According to the WSJ story, “In the middle of another workday, on June 23, 2021, McMahon locked Grant inside his private locker room at WWE’s offices and forced himself on her over a massage table, the suit said. Later that day, McMahon’s personal assistant delivered $15,000 in Bloomingdale’s gift cards to Grant in her office.”
According to the WSJ story, Grant has screenshots and explicit text messages from McMahon, including one from May 2020 that reads, “i’m the only one who owns U and controls who I want to f— U.” Grant also claims that McMahon shared nude photos and explicit videos of her with other employees without her consent. The videos and photos were also allegedly shown to unnamed executives and stars, and he then ordered her to have sex with them.
McMahon allegedly increased his demands on Grant, forcing her to use sex toys that he named after WWE wrestlers. Grant claims this caused her to bruise and bleed. In March 2020, McMahon allegedly shared sexually explicit photos and videos of Grant with other men. According to the lawsuit, this included executives and a former WWE Heavyweight Champion, “whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract.” The lawsuit alleges that McMahon defecated on her head during a threesome.
McMahon also allegedly paid for Grant to see a celebrity doctor due to her deteriorating physical and mental state. He also allegedly gave a surgeon $20,000 on her behalf. Grant stated in her lawsuit that she “felt bad” about herself when she left the hotel after being sent there to have sex with John Laurinaitis.
The lawsuit also claims that Grant started at a lower level with the company but was promised a promotion to vice president, and that McMahon controlled her professional and personal life, subjecting her to degradation. Furthermore, in June 2021, McMahon and Laurintis allegedly agreed to restraining her while saying, “No means yes” and “Take it, b—.”
The WSJ wrote, “In July 2021, the suit said, McMahon instructed Grant to create personalized sexual content for a WWE superstar that he was trying to re-sign. The suit didn’t name the professional wrestler, but described him as both a UFC fighter and WWE talent. People familiar with the matter identified the wrestler as Brock Lesnar, one of WWE’s biggest names.”
McMahon also allegedly gave Grant’s personal phone number to a WWE star, who then asked her to send a video of her urinating and called her a “b–” afterwards. Later that month, the star inquired about scheduling “a playdate.”
In January 2022, McMahon reportedly claimed to Grant that Linda McMahon learned about the relationship, and he pressured her to sign an NDA in exchange for compensation. McMahon also allegedly threatened her with pornographic content, which could ruin her reputation.
Grant signed the NDA, and McMahon allegedly continued the abuse, including forcing her to have oral sex with him. According to the Wall Street Journal, “The lawsuit seeks a judgment that the NDA is invalid under state and federal law and compensatory and punitive damages under other laws, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.”
Ann Callis of the Holland Law Firm, who is representing Grant, released the following statement to the media regarding the lawsuit:
“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.
“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.”
Brandon Thurston shared the link to the lawsuit below:
The complaint from Janel Grant against WWE, Vince McMahon, and John Laurinaitis, filed in federal court in Connecticut today is here.https://t.co/eP9t8aXFiC
— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) January 25, 2024
