Sex trafficking and sexual misconduct lawsuit against Vince McMahon put on hold
After it was filed in January, a sex trafficking and sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against former WWE boss Vince McMahon by an employee has been put on hold.
A sex trafficking and sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against former WWE boss Vince McMahon by an employee has been put on hold.
Janel Grant, a former employee at WWE headquarters, agreed to temporarily pause her lawsuit against McMahon, 78, WWE and John Laurinaitis, 61, the company’s former head of talent relations, at the request of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to allow for a federal probe.
Her attorney said in a statement: “Ms Grant has consented to a request by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to stay her case against Mr McMahon, WWE and Mr Laurinaitis, pursuant to a pending non-public investigation.
“We will cooperate with all appropriate next steps.”
Janel alleged in court documents filed in Connecticut on 25 January McMahon pushed her into a “physical relationship” in return for “long-promised employment” at WWE.
She said it involved a forced sexual relationship, sharing private photos and videos and allegedly coercing Janel into having sexual relations with other WWE staffers, including Laurinaitis.
Her lawsuit stated: “McMahon also subjected Grant to acts of extreme cruelty and degradation that caused Grant to disassociate and/or become numb to reality in order to survive the horrific encounters.”
Janel’s lawsuit was almost immediately attacked by McMahon’s team after it was filed.
It contains other graphic descriptions of how she was allegedly violently raped repeatedly and abused in other ways by McMahon from 2019 to 2022.
Janel also says she was trafficked across state lines to other WWE executives and even to an unnamed “WWE Superstar” for sexual purposes.
She and McMahon agreed to a $3 million payout in 2022 to keep her allegations about McMahon from becoming public, which included a non-disclosure agreement.
She held up her end of the deal, according to her suit, but states McMahon has so far only paid her $1 million.
She is now seeking to have her NDA invalidated.
McMahon resigned as executive chairman and board member of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, the day after Janel’s lawsuit was filed.
But the wrestling company founder maintains his innocence.
The pause of Janel’s case could last “several months”, according to Deadline.
Before her lawsuit, McMahon was already under the microscope in a settled internal investigation two years ago by the then Endeavor-owned WWE for millions in hush money payments to various women.
The probe was closed, but in the summer of 2023 WWE admitted “related government investigations remain ongoing”.
