Former WWE employee Janel Grant sued Vince McMahon, claiming he allegedly sexually assaulted her, allegedly sex trafficked her and allegedly paid her off to remain silent, according to legal documents, TMZ reported.
Grant filed legal documents Thursday in federal court in Connecticut, indicating she met McMahon in 2019 after her parents passed away, according to TMZ. She reportedly said she met McMahon through a mutual friend and that he hired her to work in the WWE after discovering she was struggling to secure employment, the lawsuit revealed. She claimed in the lawsuit that he used his “life-changing promises” to allegedly pressure her into sexual interactions, the outlet reported. She reportedly accused McMahon of allegedly hosting threesomes and recruiting other men for the alleged purpose of sex trafficking her, according to the lawsuit.
NEW YORK – MARCH 11: WWE Chairman Vince McMahon attends a press conference to promote Wrestlemania XX at Planet Hollywood March 11, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
Grant claimed in the lawsuit that she was offered a salary of $75,000 to work for McMahon, and alleged he then “trapped her in an impossible situation,” where she allegedly “feared adverse career and personal consequences and legal retaliation if she declined his advances,” TMZ reported.
She reportedly described their alleged sexual relations as being non-consensual, the lawsuit said.
Grant alleged McMahon “largely stopped talking to [her] outside of sexting and fantasy talk,” and further alleged the man pressured her into sending him explicit images, of which multiple were allegedly distributed to others associated with WWE, the lawsuit revealed, according to TMZ.
Grant reportedly alleged in the lawsuit that McMahon arranged a threesome with her and a physical therapist, allegedly saying “he would lose a friendship if she did not go through with it.”
She alleged he defecated on her head while making her continue to perform sex acts, the lawsuit said, according to TMZ.
The lawsuit reportedly indicated McMahon allegedly convinced former WWE wrestler John Laurinaitis “to join them.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 08: WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Grant claimed in the lawsuit that she was allegedly forced to send Laurinaitis explicit images, and was allegedly pressured into a threesome with him, according to TMZ.
She also claimed in the lawsuit that after the first encounter, both men allegedly anticipated “that she engage with Laurinaitis sexually, both physically and with explicit content,” the outlet reported.
According to the lawsuit, she reportedly claimed she was allegedly told to “serve herself to [Laurinaitis] as ‘breakfast.'” She also said McMahon allegedly sent her a text ordering her to perform sexual acts for Laurinaitis, writing, “On days when he’s in town, I want him to f*** U every morning and later In the office too,” the lawsuit revealed, TMZ reported.
Troubling text messages allegedly referencing the sexual abuse allegations have since surfaced on social media, a Twitter thread from Wrestle Ops appears to show.
THREAD 1/2 (TW):
Screenshots of Vince McMahon’s messages from the new sex trafficking lawsuit: pic.twitter.com/pqx78GHSwU
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) January 25, 2024
She accused Laurinaitis and McMahon of allegedly raping her in the former’s office in 2021, and claimed she both told them no and asked them to stop, only to allegedly be told, “Take it, bitch,” the lawsuit read, according to TMZ.
She reportedly claimed in the lawsuit that she allegedly signed an NDA on the promise of receiving $3 million, of which she claimed she only received $1 million.
Grant sought unspecified damages and asked the judge to invalidate the alleged NDA, the lawsuit said, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Masseuse Sues Knicks Owner, Alleges He Trafficked Her to Harvey Weinstein: REPORT)
Laurinaitis, McMahon and the WWE have reportedly refrained from commenting publicly on the allegations made against them in the lawsuit.
This story continues to unfold.