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Janel Grant files to amend her lawsuit, accuses Vince McMahon and WWE using her ‘like a commodity’

BBG News

(TW: sexual abuse) 

On Friday, just before the deadline, lawyers representing Janel Grant submitted a request to modify her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Lauirnaitis, and WWE. The updated filing incorporates fresh evidence such as text messages and voice recordings from McMahon. This new evidence, they claim, demonstrates that McMahon viewed Grant not as a person but as a commodity to be sexually exploited and offered to other men.

In a recent press statement, Grants legal team has offered further information about the ongoing lawsuit. The updated version of the lawsuit is available for viewing at this link.

In simpler terms, it is alleged that McMahon proposed an inappropriate sexual agreement between himself, Ms. Grant, and Brock Lesnar during contract negotiations with the WWE. Furthermore, McMahon instructed Ms. Grant to send sexually suggestive material to Lesnar.

McMahon texted Ms. Grant describing in explicit terms his fantasy of observing a crowd of men surrounding her, ultimately leaving her in a state of physical distress.

A text from McMahon to Ms. Grant, in which McMahon clarifies that it is solely his role to organize or set up any intimate moments between the two of them.

A situation where McMahon secretly filmed Ms. Grant in a state of undress, without her awareness or approval, for Laurinaitis.

In 2022, WWE announced an investigation they planned to carry out following the revelation that McMahon had signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with several women. However, during this investigation, it was reported that the investigators did not speak with Ms. Grant.

In the conversation between McMahon and Ms. Grant, McMahon urgently presses her to quickly sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as he fears being removed from his own organization if it’s not done promptly. His language is informal and somewhat aggressive.

The original grievance, submitted in January 2024, encompasses a text message exchange between McMahon and Ms. Grant, in which McMahon acknowledges, “I am the sole owner of you and have the power to decide who I want to be intimate with you.

Ann Callis, Grant’s attorney released the following statement: 

The updated lawsuit filed by Ms. Grant uncovers fresh information that underscores the sexual abuse she endured from Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, and exposes the potentially hazardous work environment McMahon fostered at WWE. Ms. Grant is eager to bring her abusers to justice in a court of law.

Back in January, my gaming crew petitioned for more time to revise our lawsuit, aiming to incorporate the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision against McMahon. With McMahon’s SEC ruling and fine, we felt that the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was no longer valid. Moreover, we requested a meeting to discuss the current status of our case.

McMahon’s legal team sought a motion to prevent the scheduled status conference and instead take the case to arbitration. However, Judge Sarah F. Russell declined both requests. The judge determined that Grant’s team had until January 31st to propose an amendment to their argument. Furthermore, the temporary halt on proceedings, initially requested in June, has now been officially lifted by the court.

Identities of WWE employees formally revealed 

In the revised court document, which spans over 100 pages, the four individuals involved in the case have now been officially named. These individuals are Nick Khan, who serves as WWE’s President, Brad Blum, a former Chief Operating Officer of WWE, Stephanie McMahon, and Brian Nurse, the former head of WWE’s legal department. Their identities were initially disclosed by Tim Marchman, John Pollock, and Brandon Thurston.

It’s been revealed that the first employee at WWE is Rich Hering. Over a long and dedicated career, he proved himself to be extremely loyal to the company, having worked alongside Vincent J. McMahon Sr. He was not implicated in any misconduct, but his unwavering loyalty within the organization was something to be respected. In 2021, Hering received the WWE’s Warrior Award.

It has been officially confirmed that Brock Lesnar is the WWE star whom Grant claims McMahon suggested to her, while Dr. Carlon Colker was identified as the well-known doctor at Peak Wellness who treated her upon McMahon’s request and also recommended a lawyer for Grant to sign an NDA under McMahon’s guidance.

McMahon offers Grant in negoations with Brock Lesnar

The lawsuit alleges that during negotiations to keep Brock Lesnar within the WWE, McMahon proposed offering Grant for a sexual encounter to Lesnar. Eventually, Lesnar did sign a new contract. The court ordered McMahon to travel to Greenville, South Carolina, “regardless of whether it’s just to see Brock.

McMahon and Lesnar arranged for Grant to visit Connecticut, as Lesnar was scheduled to appear at Mohegan Sun. However, Lesnar’s travel plans were disrupted by a snowstorm, causing him to cancel his trip. In the end, Grant decided not to go due to the bad weather and COVID-19 concerns.

McMahon attempted to orchestrate a romantic liaison with Lesnar during his visit to New York for a live show at Madison Square Garden. This proposal came following McMahon’s instruction for her to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

In the legal case, it is claimed that McMahon repeatedly asked, guided, urged, demanded, and made it a condition for Ms. Grant to produce and transmit sexually suggestive material, not just during meetings related to writing or production, but also during live television broadcasts in a “gorilla position,” on the corporate jet for both domestic and international travel, and even while being filmed for a worldwide streaming service. Furthermore, it is alleged that McMahon was aware when Ms. Grant did not comply with these requests.

In a recent update to the court case, I’ve learned that another individual has been mentioned. According to the amended lawsuit, I (the alleged victim) claim that McMahon coerced me to generate sexually explicit content for a former WWE wrestler and long-time employee, Michael Hayes. It seems Hayes plays a significant role in the Bloodline storyline as a producer. Furthermore, McMahon reportedly instructed me to produce such content not only for the production crew under Hayes, but also for construction workers. The lawsuit contains texts from McMahon and explicit photos as evidence.

After McMahon assigned Grant to John Laurinaitis, she was shifted to Talent Relations. A custom office suite was tailored to Laurinaitis’ preferences and adjoined the current COO, Paul Levesque’s office by a shared wall. At that time, Levesque held the position of Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy and Development. Grant’s office, where she would later be exploited according to the lawsuit, had a private door connecting directly to Laurinaitis’ office and an additional security lock outside her own door. The lawsuit claims that Khan and Blum were involved in designing this office.

McMahon pressues Grant to sign an NDA

In January 2022, McMahon suggested that Grant should consult a lawyer for a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). He recommended that she reach out to Colker for a referral to an attorney. The lawsuit claims that she secured legal representation for just eight days during this period, and in such a short span, the lawyer voiced his apprehensions about Grant finalizing the NDA so swiftly.

Toward the end of the month, McMahon was urging her to expedite the completion of the Non-Disclosure Agreement because the Audit Committee and WWE’s Board of Directors were nearing their deadline. Despite attempting to withdraw from the agreement multiple times, McMahon insisted that she carry on with it as not signing would result in severe consequences for both him and WWE.

The lawsuit contains a recording of McMahon’s voice message, where she requests signing the NDA. In her message, McMahon explains, “Regarding the agreement matter, we need to proceed with it for the following reasons – there’s a recent development in this situation… Oh, this is certainly dragging on!… So, there’s an audit committee involved because it’s a public company. If we don’t finalize this by the 31st, I’m in trouble since McDevitt oversees the legal department.

He must inform the audit committee that there are no ongoing lawsuits, pending issues, or similar matters, and he cannot legally proceed without obtaining a signature on something first. Therefore, we urgently need to address this matter promptly, as any delay could potentially put us in a difficult situation.

Concerned that McMahon might disclose personal information publicly and craft his own version of events, Grant was eventually pressured into signing the Non-Disclosure Agreement, as suggested by the filing. Additionally, it was indicated in the filing that in the weeks preceding the signing of the NDA, Grant’s mental wellbeing declined as she felt trapped by McMahon and WWE, leading her to sign under duress due to a fear of never escaping their influence.

In reply to the motion to modify the lawsuit, attorney Jessica Rosenberg of McMahon’s legal team provided this statement to B.J. Bethel at SEScoops: “As we anticipated, the suggested amended complaint is merely the latest publicity tactic in a persistent smear campaign. It is crammed with unfounded lies from a group that persistently ignores the law and reality.

McMahon, together with his wife Linda, as well as the WWE and TKO Holdings, are currently involved in a legal case filed by five ex-WWE “Ring Boys” who claim that the McMahons were aware of the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of the late Mel Phillips, a former commentator. The court has temporarily halted proceedings on this lawsuit.

Should you or someone you’re acquainted with encounter domestic violence, dating abuse, human trafficking, or sexual assault, reach out to the appropriate hotlines:

– National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
– National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
– National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

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2025-02-02 17:47

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