WWE Sexual Abuse Settlement: Laurinaitis to Cooperate with Accuser
A former WWE executive, facing sexual abuse allegations in a lawsuit filed by a former employee, has reached a confidential settlement. Now, he will collaborate with the plaintiff in her litigation against the company and former leader Vince McMahon, representatives and lawyers confirmed on Wednesday.John Laurinaitis, former WWE head of talent relations and known as Johnny Ace in the ring, will assist Janel Grant in her lawsuit against McMahon and the wrestling entertainment company. Representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, confirmed the settlement and cooperation agreement, indicating that Laurinaitis possesses “evidence” against McMahon and the company, although they did not specify its nature.
Their agreement for a confidential settlement is a crucial step in holding McMahon and WWE accountable, and in bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis
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 remain.
Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney for McMahon, issued a statement in response.Rosenberg added that a lawyer for Laurinaitis had previously stated that the lawsuit’s allegations were unfounded.The dismissal of John Laurinaitis as a defendant does not alter the facts of this case in any way. Vince McMahon never mistreated Janel Grant.
Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon’s attorney
Grant sued WWE, McMahon, and Laurinaitis last year in a federal court in Connecticut, where the company is headquartered in Stamford. In explicit detail, she alleges that McMahon forced her to perform sexual acts with him, Laurinaitis, and others, and claims that both men sexually assaulted her. According to her, she was forced to perform humiliating acts during the encounters. The lawsuit also includes photos of text messages of a sexual nature that McMahon allegedly sent to Grant.
McMahon, former WWE CEO and chairman, has denied Grant’s accusations. Previously, he stated that the lawsuit is “rife with lies, fabricated obscene incidents that never happened, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth.” His lawyers stated 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 was then transferred to the talent relations department, where Laurinaitis was her boss.
She has stated that she was finally pressured to leave her job at WWE and sign a $3 million non-disclosure agreement. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate the agreement, arguing that McMahon breached the agreement by giving her $1 million and not paying the rest.
Currently, pending in the lawsuit are motions by McMahon, WWE, and Laurinaitis 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 her lawsuit. At that time, McMahon stepped down from his position as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company. He also resigned as WWE’s chief executive officer in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations similar to those in Grant’s lawsuit.McMahon purchased 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 U.S. Secretary of Education, he also performed at WWE events as himself.
