Vince McMahon accuser begs for WWE to ditch NDAs to let others come forward with abuse claims

A former WWE employee who filed a lawsuit against the companys controversial co-founder Vince McMahon has asked the wrestling institution not to enforce NDAs against workers. 

Janel Grant, who worked for WWEs headquarters for three years, launched a scathing lawsuit in January claiming McMahon sexually abused and harassed her. 

A lawyer for Grant has now requested WWE, McMahon and John Laurinaitis, a former WWE executive and wrestler, avoid enforcing NDAs for former and current workers so they can come forward with similar accusations.  

In a statement, Grants lawyer Ann Callis questioned whether WWE was serious about parting ways with McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created, with the 79-year-old stepping down from his company following the allegations earlier this year. 

Vince McMahon was accused in a January 2024 lawsuit of sexually abusing and harassing a former employee, which came after several other similar allegations that he denied 

Janel Grant, who worked for WWEs headquarters for three years, alleged that McMahon coerced her into sexual acts with himself and other WWE stars and subjected her to humiliating abuse 

McMahon’s spokesman, Curtis Vogel, declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press, and lawyers for WWE and Mr. Laurinaitis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Although he once held a monopoly over the wrestling world with a net worth of over $2 billion, McMahon was ousted from his company in the wake of Grants lawsuit. 

Grant, who worked in WWE’s legal and talent departments from 2019 to 2022, sued McMahon and Laurinaitis in January, making graphic allegations of sexual assault, harassment, trafficking and other physical and emotional abuse. 

In her lawsuit, Grant alleges McMahon forced her into a sexual relationship with him in order for her to get and keep a job, and later directed her to have sexual relations with others including Laurinaitis.

She also claimed McMahon coerced her into sexual acts with himself and other WWE stars, shared explicit images of her without her consent, and alleged that she was sexually assaulted by two men at WWEs headquarters in Connecticut. 

Grants attorney this week questioned whether WWE was serious about parting ways with McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created 

McMahon once held a monopoly over the wrestling world with a net worth of over $2 billion, but left his media conglomerate in January following Grants allegations, which he denies 

McMahon resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings the day after the lawsuit was filed, after he previously stepped down as WWEs CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations that match those in Grant’s lawsuit. 

In her statement, Callis said: If WWE and its parent company, Endeavor, are serious about parting ways with Vince McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created, their executives should have no problem with releasing former WWE employees from their NDAs.

This is the first step to rehabilitating a company that covered up decades of sexual assault and human trafficking. 

McMahon has frequently denied the allegations against him, and previously responded to Grants lawsuit by branding it 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, he added. 

His lawyers said in court documents that he had a consensual relationship with Grant and never mistreated her.

Laurinaitis - who performed under the ring name Johnny Ace before becoming a WWE executive - has also denied the allegations, and said he is also a victim in the case. 

Laurinaitis - who performed under the ring name Johnny Ace before becoming a WWE executive - has denied the allegations against him in Grants lawsuit 

After three years at the company, in which Grant says her concerns were ignored due to a toxic culture, Grant said she was pressured into leaving her job with the WWE and signing a $3 million non-disclosure agreement.

The lawsuit also seeks to have the agreement declared invalid, saying McMahon breached the deal by giving her $1 million dollars and failing to pay the rest.

Four other women – all formerly affiliated to WWE – signed agreements with McMahon that bar them from discussing their relationships with him, the Wall Street Journal reported in July 2022, citing people familiar with the deals and documents it reviewed.

Grant’s representatives say she was not among those women.

In December 2022, McMahon agreed to pay a female former wrestling referee millions of dollars to settle her allegations that he raped her in 1986, the Journal also reported.

In response, McMahon said the alleged sexual assault never happened, and his lawyer said he settled the suit to avoid costly litigation.

Grant’s request for WWE to waive enforcement of the NDAs is similar to ones made to other companies when sexual misconduct allegations arose.

In 2018 the Weinstein Co released employees and former members of staff from NDAs in connection with sexual misconduct claims against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein 

In 2018 and 2019, respectively, the Weinstein Co and NBC Universal released employees, former members of staff and others from NDAs made in connection with sexual misconduct claims against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and Today host Matt Lauer.

Victims’ lawyers argue that NDAs are instruments to silence accusers while allowing alleged abusers to avoid accountability.

A federal law approved in 2022 and similar laws in more than a dozen states curb the use of NDAs that block victims of sexual harassment from speaking publicly about their allegations.