A former WWE executive, facing sexual abuse allegations in a lawsuit filed by a former employee, has reached a confidential settlement. Now, this individual will cooperate with the plaintiff in her litigation against the company and former leader Vince McMahon, representatives and lawyers reported this Wednesday.
John Laurinaitis, former WWE head of talent relations, known in the ring as Johnny Ace, will assist Janel Grant in her lawsuit against McMahon and the wrestling entertainment company. Representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis’ attorney, Edward Brennan, confirmed the settlement and cooperation agreement, indicating that Laurinaitis possesses “evidence” against McMahon and the company, without revealing details.
Your agreement to a confidentiality agreement is a crucial step in holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
A court document filed this Wednesday indicates that Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss the claims in the lawsuit against Laurinaitis, although the accusations against WWE and McMahon continue.
Jessica Rosenberg, a lawyer for McMahon, issued a statement in response.
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 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. With explicit details, 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 Grant, she was forced to perform humiliating acts during the encounters. The lawsuit includes photos of text messages of a sexual nature that, according to her, McMahon sent her.
McMahon, former WWE CEO and chairman, has denied Grant’s accusations. Previously, he stated that the lawsuit is “filled 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 argued in court documents that he had a consensual relationship with Grant and that he 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 claimed that, ultimately, she was 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, McMahon, WWE, and Laurinaitis have motions 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 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 an internal investigation into allegations similar to those in Grant’s lawsuit.
