Lawsuit alleges the 78-year-old used a WWE employee to entice wrestling talent
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A former WWE employee has alleged that she was sex trafficked by the company’s co-founder Vince McMahon.
Janel Grant filed a lawsuit in US District Court for the District of Connecticut on Thursday, claiming that the 78-year-old businessman used her to entice wrestling talent.
Other defendants named include John Laurinaitis, former head of talent relations.
The lawsuit alleges trafficking by Mr McMahon and Mr Laurinaitis, civil battery and infliction of emotional distress by all parties and negligence against the WWE.
Ms Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis of Holland Law Firm, said the lawsuit was seeking to “hold accountable” the executives and WWE.
Ms Callis added: “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 victimised.”
Asked to provide services
Ms Grant claims she was asked to provide services for a WWE superstar so he could continue involvement in the wrestling organisation. When this did not happen she told Mr McMahon, who was “physically rough” with her.
“WWE benefited financially from the commercial sex act venture orchestrated by McMahon, including by having wrestling talent, such as WWE Superstar, sign new contracts with WWE after McMahon presented plantiff as a sexual commodity for their use,” the document says.
The lawsuit also alleges that Mr McMahon and Mr Laurinaitis “controlled her continued employment with WWE, and pressured her to engage in sex acts”.
Mr McMahon is said to have sent sexually explicit photographs and videos of Ms Grant to WWE employees and a “world-famous athlete and former UFC heavyweight champion”.
Wife discovered relationship
In January 2022, it is claimed that Mr McMahon told Ms Grant to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) when his wife discovered their relationship.
If she did not, she was told, then she would suffer legal consequences and become a “public headline and suffer reputational ruin” from the images and videos he recorded.
Her lawyers have asked the court to find her NDA invalid.
