A former WWE staff member, Janel Grant, has filed a federal lawsuit against Vince McMahon, the founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, and the company itself, alleging rape, sex trafficking, and battery. The suit also names former WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis for sexual assault. The explicit filing details a relationship that began in March 2019, when Grant was unemployed and grieving a family loss, and allegedly turned into a condition of her employment, involving degrading language, forced group sex, and physical injuries from sex toys.
McMahon's spokesman responded, calling the lawsuit 'replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth.' He stated that McMahon will vigorously defend himself. TKO Group Holdings, the Endeavor-controlled entity that now owns WWE, issued a statement saying the allegations are being addressed internally, but did not comment on whether McMahon would retain his role as Executive Chairman.
The lawsuit comes after McMahon was pushed out as WWE president and CEO in 2022 amid previous sexual abuse allegations, only to return later that year. In September 2023, WWE merged with Endeavor-owned UFC to form TKO Group Holdings, with McMahon as Executive Chairman. The suit notes that naked images of Grant were shared with other senior WWE staffers, and some alleged encounters crossed state lines.
Neither Endeavor nor Netflix, which recently signed a $5 billion deal with TKO for WWE programming, responded to requests for comment. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Connecticut.
