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Former WWE Employee Files New Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Vince McMahon
Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed an amended lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, alleging sexual abuse, coercion, and trafficking by Vince McMahon and others. The filing details incidents from her employment between 2019 and 2022, and McMahon has denied the accusations, calling them fictional. WWE and TKO Group have stated they are addressing the matter seriously.
Apr 4, 5:51 PM·2m read1 source
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Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed an amended lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut earlier this week, adding new allegations against Vince McMahon and WWE. The lawsuit accuses McMahon of sexual abuse, coercion, and trafficking, and claims that senior WWE officials were aware of and facilitated the alleged misconduct.
Fox News reported that Grant worked at WWE from June 2019 to 2022 and described experiencing physical and emotional abuse during this period.
Grant's filing provides background on how she was recruited to WWE and the alleged abuse she endured. She stated that she was subjected to repeated physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sexual trafficking by McMahon, with involvement from other senior officials and talent.
The lawsuit asserts that instead of protecting her, WWE and McMahon allegedly used coercive control to prevent her from seeking help or speaking out.
In the amended complaint, Grant alleged that the sexual encounters were violent, invasive, and degrading, resulting in injuries that persisted due to ongoing incidents. She explained that she did not report the abuse earlier because she was under duress and dependent on McMahon for her survival.
Additionally, the filing claims McMahon pressured her to sign a non-disclosure agreement and allegedly sexually assaulted her afterward.
McMahon has denied these allegations in an April 2024 filing, describing them as fictional and contradicted by Grant's own statements. He maintained that their relationship was consensual and referenced a love letter from Grant praising him as her best friend. McMahon stepped down as CEO of WWE in 2022 and from TKO Group in 2024 following the initial lawsuit.
TKO Group, which now oversees WWE, responded to the allegations in January 2024, stating that they take the matter seriously and are addressing it internally. The company noted that McMahon does not control TKO or manage WWE's daily operations. John Laurinaitis, a former WWE executive, was previously removed from the lawsuit, though details of his involvement were part of earlier claims.
