Confidential Agreement in Case of Sexual Abuse in WWE
A former WWE executive, involved in a lawsuit over sexual abuse allegations filed by a former employee, has reached a confidential settlement. This agreement implies that the former executive will now collaborate with the plaintiff in her litigation against the company and former leader Vince McMahon, according to representatives and lawyers. John Laurinaitis, former WWE head of talent relations, known as Johnny Ace in the ring, will provide support to Janel Grant in her lawsuit against McMahon and the entertainment company. Grant’s representatives and Laurinaitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, confirmed the settlement and cooperation agreement. According to them, Laurinaitis possesses “evidence” against McMahon and the company, although they did not specify the nature of this.A court document filed on Wednesday indicates that Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss the charges against Laurinaitis, but the charges against WWE and McMahon continue. Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney for McMahon, issued a statement in response.Their agreement for a confidential settlement is a crucial step in holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and human trafficking. Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We are unable to provide additional details at this time.
Representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis
Rosenberg added that a lawyer for Laurinaitis had previously stated that the lawsuit’s allegations were unfounded. Grant sued WWE, McMahon, and Laurinaitis last year in a federal court in Connecticut, where the company is headquartered. In explicit detail, she alleges that McMahon forced her to have sexual relations with him, Laurinaitis, and others, and claims that both men sexually assaulted her. She says she was forced to perform humiliating acts during the encounters. The lawsuit also includes photos of sexual text messages that, according to her, McMahon sent to Grant. McMahon, the former WWE CEO and chairman, has denied Grant’s accusations. He previously stated that the lawsuit is “rife with lies, fabricated obscene instances that never happened, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these unfounded accusations and look forward to clearing my name.” His lawyers said in court documents that he had a consensual relationship with Grant and never mistreated her. Grant began working for WWE in 2019 as an entry-level employee in its legal department, a job managed by McMahon, and then transferred to the talent relations department, where Laurinaitis was her boss. She has said that she was finally pressured to leave her job at WWE and sign a $3 million non-disclosure agreement. The lawsuit seeks to have the agreement declared invalid, alleging that McMahon breached the agreement by giving her $1 million and not paying the rest. Currently, motions from McMahon, WWE, and Laurinaitis are pending in the lawsuit to move all claims to arbitration. They argued that the lawsuit should not be allowed because Grant agreed to resolve any disputes in arbitration as part of his confidentiality agreement. McMahon resigned from WWE’s parent company in January 2024 after Grant filed his lawsuit. At that time, McMahon resigned from his position as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company. He also resigned as WWE CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations similar to those in Grant’s lawsuit. McMahon bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a global phenomenon. In addition to running the company with his wife, Linda, who is now the United States Secretary of Education, he also performed at WWE events as himself.The dismissal of John Laurinaitis as a defendant today does not alter the facts of this case in any way. Vince McMahon never mistreated Janel Grant. No matter how many press releases his team issues, the truth remains the same.
Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon’s lawyer
