A WWE executive has reportedly resigned after being identified in a bombshell sex trafficking lawsuit brought against professional wrestling mogul Vince McMahon by a former employee.
WWE Chief Operating Officer Brad Blum, who is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit in which McMahon allegedly defecated on the heads of subordinates, has resigned on Wednesday, the company reported. Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Former WWE employee Janelle Grant filed a lawsuit in January alleging that McMahon and another executive, John Laurinaitis, sexually assaulted her.
The complaint also mentions “Executive Officer No. 2,” identified by the newspaper as Mr. Blum. front office sports.
The complaint alleges that Executive Officer No. 1 (previously identified by the Post as WWE President Nick Carn) and Executive Officer No. 2 stated that Grant “exceptedly understood that he would remain a sex slave. He claims he arranged for him to be employed in a completely unclear role. It will be used, bought and sold by McMahon within WWE. ”
The lawsuit does not allege that Blum knew about the sexual abuse allegations.
The Post has reached out to Bram, WWE and its parent company TKO Group for comment.
In March, WWE said in a statement: “Neither Nick Carne nor Brad Blum were made aware of Mr. Grant’s claims that he was the victim of abuse or unwanted physical contact until the lawsuit was filed on January 25, 2024.” There wasn’t.” The complaint also does not allege that either party had any such knowledge. ”
McMahon, who resigned as WWE CEO after Grant’s lawsuit was filed, has denied the allegations, insisting their relationship was consensual.
Last month, it was revealed that Grant wrote McMahon a “love letter” declaring that he “loves you with a capital L.”
Grant later claimed that he was coerced into writing the letter.
Lawyers for Ms. McMahon also said in court filings that Ms. Grant snuck into her then-boss’ penthouse apartment in a Stamford, Conn., condominium where the two lived to have sex, and then later revealed that she was only a few minutes old. He claimed to have snuck back to his fiancée’s house on the floor.
Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis, said her client, attorney Brian Gonsalves, had broken off the engagement and allowed Grant to “stay in the apartment while he rebuilds his life.”
McMahon’s filing last month alleges that Grant lied, saying she spent years providing 24-hour care for her late parents and that she was “struggling financially” when they met. The lawsuit alleges that Grant fabricated her life history.
“Vince McMahon has never known a storyline that he didn’t twist to fit his shameful narrative,” Callis told the Post last month.
On Thursday, Mr. Laurinaitis, 61, sided with Mr. McMahon in federal court in Connecticut, despite initially appearing to support Mr. Grant and claiming that he too was a “victim.” I stood up and filed a complaint.
“John Laurinaitis has today filed a motion to fully join and adopt Vince McMahon’s motion to compel arbitration,” attorney Edward Brennan said in a statement.
“Mr. Laurinaitis corroborates Mr. McMahon, who has publicly declared that the allegations of sexual abuse and coercion in Ms. Grant’s complaint are completely baseless.”
Brennan said Laurinaitis “intends to fight these false allegations alongside Mr. McMahon in the appropriate forum, arbitration.”
McMahon’s lawyer Jessica Rosenberg released a statement Thursday saying Grant was “in love” with his then-WWE boss and was “devastated by their separation.”
Mr. Grant “filed an outrageously false lawsuit to destroy Mr. McMahon’s career and reputation,” Rosenberg said.
“Now, her false claims are slowly being unraveled.”
A representative for Mr. Grant declined to comment.
In February, Brennan made it appear that Laurinaitis supported Grant’s account.
“Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations of false accusations and plans to vigorously defend these charges in court, not in the media.” Brennan told VICE News in February.
“Like the plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”
Ms. Grant claimed in her lawsuit that Ms. Laurinaitis was “solicited” by Ms. McMahon to participate in a threesome.
Mr. McMahon also allegedly “pressured Mr. Grant to produce explicit photos and videos to send to Laurinaitis.”
The complaint alleges that Grant received the keys to Laurinaitis’ hotel room and was told to treat him to Laurinaitis as “breakfast” before work began.
After Ms. Blum told Ms. Grant that she was being transferred to a department reporting directly to Mr. Laurinaitis, Mr. McMahon told her that she would “always be held accountable for the expectation that she would perform sexually, both internally and externally, for him and her new boss.” It is said to have been strengthened. to the office,” her complaint states.
“Will you promise to make me proud, baby?” Will you show him what you can do as a porn star?
“Show me off like never before????” McMahon allegedly texted Grant on March 22, 2021, according to the complaint.
The same text message allegedly continued as follows: [Laurinaitis is] I want him to have sex with me every morning around town and then in the office afterwards. ”
Ms Grant said in court filings that Mr McMahon and Mr Laurinaitis took her into Mr Laurinaitis’ office, locked the door and “cornered her and brought her between them”. He forcibly touched her and eventually placed her on the table between them.” ”
“She begged them to stop, but they took turns restraining and forcing her, saying things like ‘no means yes’ and ‘hold on, bitch,'” Grant’s lawsuit alleges. ing.
Grant was employed by McMahon from June 2019 to March 2022 at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
She filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement she signed when she made the bombshell statement.
Grant claimed she received $1 million of the $3 million payment, but McMahon withheld her next payment, which was due in February last year, prompting her to file a lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses McMahon of defecating on her head during a threesome and using a sex toy he named after the wrestler on her. McMahon calls it “sneaky,” “false” and “pure fiction.”
Days after the lawsuit was filed, McMahon became executive chairman of TKO Group, the parent company created from WWE’s merger with Zuffa, a subsidiary of Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor Agency, which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship Series. resigned from his position.
In July 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon said: paid four women more than $12 million over 16 years to keep them from speaking out about alleged sexual misconduct.
