Confidential Agreement in Case of Sexual Abuse in WWE
A former WWE executive, implicated in sexual abuse allegations in a lawsuit filed by a former employee, has reached a confidential settlement. This agreement involves the executive collaborating with the plaintiff in her litigation against the company and former leader Vince McMahon, according to representatives and lawyers on Wednesday. John Laurinaitis, former WWE head of talent relations, who also wrestled under the name Johnny Ace, will provide support to Janel Grant in her lawsuit against McMahon and the wrestling entertainment company. Grant’s representatives and Laurinaitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, confirmed the settlement and cooperation agreement. Furthermore, they indicated that Laurinaitis possesses “evidence” against McMahon and the company, although they did not specify its nature.A court document filed on Wednesday reveals that Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss the claims in the lawsuit against Laurinaitis, but the allegations 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 towards accountability for McMahon and WWE, and to bring justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking.
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 Stamford. 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. 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 allegations. He previously stated that the lawsuit is “rife with lies, fabricated obscene instances that never happened, and is a vengeful distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these unfounded accusations and hope to clear my name.” His lawyers claimed 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 position managed by McMahon, and was then transferred to the talent relations department, where Laurinaitis was her boss. She has stated that, eventually, she was pressured to leave her job at WWE and sign a $3 million non-disclosure agreement. The lawsuit seeks to have the agreement declared invalid, 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 argue 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 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 CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations similar to those in Grant’s lawsuit.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. No matter how many press releases his team issues, the truth remains the same.
Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon’s attorney
