Vince McMahon accused of sexual abuse, sex trafficking in lawsuit
Former WWE John Laurinaitis was also named in the lawsuit
Vince McMahon, the executive chairman of the board for WWE’s parent company TKO Group Holdings, was accused of sexual abuse and sex trafficking in a lawsuit filed in Connecticut on Thursday.
Janel Grant filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court against McMahon and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis. Grant alleged in the 67-page complaint that McMahon lured her to the company with the promises of a stellar career, only to be sexually exploited by him and people he called his "friends" between 2019 and 2022.
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The lawsuit says that Grant signed a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) in 2022 in which McMahon agreed to pay $3 million in exchange for her not disclosing their relationship or disparaging him. However, the lawsuit alleged that she continued to be harassed. The suit seeks to void the NDA under the Speak Out Act, unspecified compensatory damages and further relief as the court "deems just and proper."
TKO Executive Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon is seen during a ceremony announcing that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has joined the Board of Directors for TKO at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on Tuesday. (Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC / Getty Images)
"This lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth," a spokesperson for McMahon told Fox News Digital. "He will vigorously defend himself."
McMahon’s attorney, Jerry McDevitt, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment, and neither did WWE representatives. TKO Group Holdings did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Grant joined WWE in June 2019, months after the death of her parents and after her building’s manager texted McMahon to see whether he would talk to her, according to the lawsuit. Grant states in the suit that her initial meeting with McMahon was the start of the three-year "nightmare."
The lawsuit goes on to allege multiple instances of explicit encounters between McMahon and Grant and describes the former WWE chief of exercising "complete ownership and control over both her personal and professional lives."
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WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon is shown at the Connecticut Republican Convention in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File / AP Newsroom)
Among the claims, McMahon is accused of defecating on the plaintiff during a threesome and causing injuries to her through the use of sex toys.
The lawsuit describes allegations of Grant being sexually assaulted by McMahon and Laurinaitis, as well as other friends of McMahon’s.
"Behind a locked door, the two men cornered her and pulled her in between them, forcibly touched her, before ultimately putting her on top of a table in between them," the lawsuit says. "She begged them to stop, but they forced themselves on her, each taking turns restraining her for the other."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TKO | TKO GROUP HOLDINGS | 96.76 | +0.56 | +0.58% |
Laurinaitis didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. He left the company in 2022.
The lawsuit says that McMahon told Grant in January 2022 that his wife, Linda McMahon, had discovered their relationship and allegedly pressured her into signing the NDA.
Grant now "lives with so much anxiety and depression that she is unable to leave her residence for weeks at a time out of fear and PTSD," the complaint reads.
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 in Las Vegas on Jan. 8, 2014. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The lawsuit demands a trial by jury and accuses McMahon and WWE of civil battery and the company of negligence.