An ex-World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee has accused the company’s CEO, Vince McMahon, of sexually trafficking her to entice wrestling talents.
Janel Grant claims she was sexually assaulted at WWE in a case filed in Connecticut district court on Thursday.
Mr. McMahon’s spokeswoman stated that the lawsuit was “replete with lies” and that his client would “vigorously defend himself.”.
In 2022, he resigned as WWE’s chair and CEO due to sexual misconduct allegations.
He was restored as WWE chairman a year later, after the corporation completed an inquiry into the allegations.
Mr. McMahon is named as a defendant in the current court case, along with WWE’s former head of talent, John Laurinaitis.
Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, claims they both trafficked her to other men “as a sexual pawn to entice world-famous wrestling talent.”
She claims she was coerced into a personal relationship with the WWE CEO in exchange for job offers and that she felt caught “in an impossible situation… submitting to Mr. McMahon’s sexual demands or facing ruin.”.
She claims she was unemployed at the time and struggling with her deceased parents’ bankruptcy.
According to the legal action, Ms. Grant worked at WWE’s headquarters in Connecticut from 2019 to 2022.
She accused Mr. McMahon of recruiting people, including John Laurinaitis, to have sexual intercourse with her at the time. According to the prosecution statement, he “expected and directed Ms. Grant to engage in sexual activity at the WWE headquarters, even during working hours.”.
She further alleges that both defendants sexually assaulted her at WWE headquarters in June 2021.
Ms. Grant claims Mr. McMahon persuaded her to leave WWE and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for a lump payment of $3 million (£2.5 million) after his wife discovered their connection in 2022.
NDAs, often known as “gagging orders” or “hush agreements,” are agreements between employees and employers that prohibit them from disclosing confidential information.
Ms. Grant is asking the court to invalidate the NDA under federal law, saying that the defendants violated the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act. She also seeks unspecified monetary damages.
Reacting to the allegations, WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, said in a statement: “Mr. McMahon does not control TKO, nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE.”
“While this matter predates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally,” it added.
In 2022, the WWE board announced a probe into an alleged $3 million (£2.5 million) settlement between Mr. McMahon and an ex-employee with whom he had a consensual relationship.
His daughter took over as acting CEO and chairperson, succeeding the 78-year-old. After the investigation was completed in January 2023, he returned to his position as WWE Chairman.
Ms. Grant described the WWE’s special committee probe as “a sham” and accused the business of seeking to “sweep the matter under the rug” in her legal petition on Thursday. She claims the committee never contacted her or demanded documentation from her.
