A former WWE employee has filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, accusing executive Vince McMahon and another former executive of sexual misconduct. The 67-page lawsuit, brought by Janel Grant, who previously worked in the company’s legal and talent departments, alleges that McMahon, now 78, coerced her into a sexual relationship as a condition for obtaining and retaining employment. It further claims that McMahon circulated pornographic images and videos of her to other individuals, including other WWE employees.
McMahon had stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amidst an investigation into similar allegations to those outlined in the lawsuit. The legal action was filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, where WWE is headquartered.
The lawsuit also names WWE and John Laurinaitis, the former head of talent relations and general manager of the company, as defendants.
Grant alleges abuse and sexual exploitation dating back to March 2020, with the lawsuit presenting various text message screenshots purportedly from McMahon requesting explicit sexual acts.
In response to the allegations, McMahon stated, “I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”