Former employees of WWE, along with its ex-CEO Vince McMahon, have leveled serious new accusations in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut this week. Janelle Grant, the plaintiff who initiated the suit against McMahon and former executive John Laurinaitis, has expanded on her claims regarding her recruitment to WWE and the alleged mistreatment she faced while leaders supposedly turned a blind eye to her suffering.
Laurinaitis has already been excluded from this case.
Grant, who was with WWE from June 2019 to 2022, alleges she endured “repeated physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking” inflicted by McMahon, suggesting that many senior figures were complicit or aware of the abuse. In her complaint, she states that instead of offering her protection, WWE and McMahon worked to control her, aiming to suppress her ability to speak out or seek help.
According to Grant, she experienced “violent” sexual acts from McMahon and others, describing these encounters as invasive and degrading. The complaint suggests that her condition of duress and McMahon’s control over her life prevented her from reporting the abuse. She points out that this situation caused her severe harm.
In addition to her initial claims, Grant maintains that after being pressured into signing a non-disclosure agreement, McMahon assaulted her again. This ongoing litigation continues to attract attention, and McMahon has previously maintained his innocence, stepping down as CEO in 2022 and retiring from TKO in 2024 after the first allegations emerged.
In a filing from April 2024, McMahon dismissed the accusations as fabrications intended for publicity, arguing that they contradict Grant’s earlier statements. He referred to a love letter from Grant that depicted their relationship positively and questioned her claims of abuse, especially considering she was a law graduate when she wrote those words.
TKO Group, where McMahon is no longer involved in day-to-day operations, acknowledged Grant’s allegations in early 2024, stating they are taking them seriously and addressing the issue internally.
