Agreement in Case of Sexual Abuse in WWE: Laurinaitis Will Cooperate with the Accuser
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, John Laurinaitis, will provide his cooperation to Janel Grant, the plaintiff, in her litigation against the company and former leader Vince McMahon, as confirmed by representatives and lawyers on Wednesday. Laurinaitis, who was WWE’s head of talent relations and known in the ring as Johnny Ace, will collaborate in Grant’s lawsuit against McMahon and the wrestling entertainment company. Representatives of Grant and Laurinaitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, confirmed the settlement and cooperation agreement. 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 remain in effect. Jessica Rosenberg, a lawyer for McMahon, issued a statement in response.“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 trafficking,” stated representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis in a joint statement. “Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide further details at this time.”
Joint statement from Grant and Laurinaitis representatives
Rosenberg added that a lawyer for Laurinaitis had previously stated that the lawsuit’s allegations were unfounded. WWE representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. 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 into sexual acts with him, Laurinaitis, and others, and claims that both men sexually assaulted her. According to Grant, 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, the former WWE CEO and chairman, has denied Grant’s accusations. Previously, he 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 hope to clear my name.” His lawyers claimed in court documents that he maintained 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. Grant claims 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, alleging that McMahon breached the agreement by giving her $1 million and not paying the rest. Currently, McMahon, WWE, and Laurinaitis’ motions to move all claims to arbitration are pending in the lawsuit. 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 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,” Rosenberg stated. “No matter how many press releases his team issues, the truth remains the same.”
Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon’s lawyer
