Janel Grant Suit against Vince McMahon, WWE Name Brock Lesnar, Others

Attorneys for Janel Grant, Vince McMahon’s ex-boyfriend and a former WWE employee who, in January last within the organization, had until yesterday (January 31) to submit a change version of their trial.

The updated case was expected when lawyers for the defendants have been pushing for the case to be settled during arbitration, as described in Non-Disclosure Agreement Grant signed in January 2022. Analysts expected the applicant’s updated claim to argue again that NDA was Invalid due to McMahon’s failure to pay the full amount, the specified, and to tackle SEC fees and settlement announced last month, from McMahon’s Hush Money Scandal involving payments to Grant and other women.

News about the filing arrived via a press release from Grants Team last night. It includes the following statement from main lawyer Ann Callis:

“Ms. Grant’s changed complaint reveals new details that further demonstrate the sexual abuse she suffered from the hands of Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis and withdraws the curtain back on the dangerous workplace culture McMahon created on WWE. Mrs. Grant looks forward to keeping her abusers in charge of a court. “

A remarkable change in the changed case includes naming several individuals McMahon allegedly shared pictures and stories of Grant with or offered her sexually. Former WWE & UFC Master Brock Lesnar, still under contract for WWE, but absent since he is linked to the original case, is now referred to with name in a claim that McMahon offered grants to Lesnar sexually as part of Negotiations on his current agreement. The meeting never happened despite explicit electronic messages that were transferred between the two of McMahon and a non-sexual meeting, allegedly in a case because Lesnar was “too intoxicated” and in another because of Covid-19 affairs and Weather -related travel questions.

Long producer and WWE Hall of Famer Michael Hayes is now named as McMahon is said to have “instructed Mrs Grant to create adapted pornographic content for” him and his crew. Included are screens that allegedly show explicit photos and messages sent to McMahon with text that reads: “Dear Vince’s crew, hope you enjoy these pictures! Xoxo “and” Hey Michael! Vince’s stories are true. And I love to live up to hype. XOXO. “

Other current and former business leaders such as Nick Khan, Brad Blum, Stephanie McMahon, Brian Nurse and Warrior Award winner Rich Herring is now named. No one is charged with abuse, but the case claims they were aware of and allowed Vince McMahon’s behavior in different ways. There is also a claim that when Grant was moved to the Talent Relations Department on WWE to work under Lauriniatis, a new custom office was designed for his “taste” which included a door connecting his office to Grants. This was said to share a wall with Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s Office, which suggested that the current Chief Creative Officer probably had some knowledge of Grant’s situation.

With regard to enforcing the arbitration clause in NDA, Grant’s changed case claims that she was pressed to sign – in addition to being cared for and controlled by McMahon for years at that time. Grant says the representation, McMahon arranged for her (through celebrity, Dr. Carlton Coker, also now named) expressed concern about the speed of the negotiation, which apparently happened over eight days. A transcription of a voting mememo, she claims that Vince sent her on January 27, 2022, shortly before the Hush Money scandal broke, reads:

“Ummm So (Jerry) McDevitt (WWE and McMahon’s long -time lawyer) are responsible for the fuckin ‘revision of the books kind of things. He has to tell the Audit Committee that there are no litigation, there is nothing pending this, there is no one there – sorts of similar things – and he will not do and cannot do it legally unless I get this thing signed . So we have to work on this really fuckin ‘fast, otherwise I’m double fucked. “

The trial claims that Grant requested that anyone who was aware of her relationship with McMahon should be included in the NDA, specifically by listing Khan, Blum, Laurinaitis and McMahon’s personal assistants. McMahon allegedly refused.

Grant also claims that McMahon sexually assaulted her one last time after NDA was signed on January 28, 2022, when she said during their last personal meeting that McMahon forced her to perform oral sex on him. The changed case also claims that when WWE said they had no knowledge of NDA between McMahon and Grant, they cannot enforce its arbitration provision.

A full version of the filing can be found here.

McMahon has repeatedly denied all Grant’s claims, even as he retired from all roles of WWE and the parent company TKO as a result of them. Lauriniatis also denies them now after originally claiming he was also a McMahon victim. WWE has legally argued for arbitration while publicly insisting that any cultural issues were resolved by McMahon’s exit.

In response to the amherented suit, McMahon’s leading lawyer, Jessica Rosenberg, sent out the following statement:

As expected, the proposed changed complaint is nothing more than the latest advertising stunt in an ongoing smear campaign. It is full of desperate untruths from a team that continues to disregard the law and the truth.

Attorneys for WWE and Laurinaitis have not yet commented.

Judge Sarah F. Russell will now decide whether the new filing will become part of the case. Once this is decided, the arbitration issue will be back at the forefront, where the defendant again submits movements to force it.

If you or someone you know have been sexually assaulted, confidential support is available by calling 800.656.hope and links to other resources can be found here.