Vince McMahon, present TKO executive chairman and co-founder of WWE, has been accused of sexual assault and sexual trafficking by Janel Grant, an ex-employee of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Allegedly, McMohan had tried to sexually traffic her to entice wrestling talent.
On Thursday, a case was reportedly filed at a Connecticut district court. McMahon’s spokesperson has said that the case is ‘replete with lies” and that his client will “vigorously defend himself.”
McMahon has a record of sexual misconduct claims because of which he had to step down from the positions of WWE’s chair and CEO in 2022, but was again reinstated as chair of WWE in 2023, after investigations into the allegations by the company was concluded.
The week was just beginning to get better for WWE as it came into alliance with Netflix by signing of the ten-year long deal to stream the cult weekly show of 31 years, WWE Raw, from January 2025.
McMahon stands as a defendant in the new legal case, besides John Laurinaitis, the former head of talent of WWE.
Janel Grant has accused both of them of trafficking her, as the BBC reported, ‘as a sexual pawn to entice world-famous wrestling talent.” She further added about how she was pressurised to be into a physical relationship with WWE chief executive as promises of employment opportunity were made making her subject to “an impossible situation…submitting to Mr. McMahon’s sexual demands or facing ruin.” This happened at a time when she was unemployed and was battling with the bankruptcy of a deceased parent.
The legal case states that Grant had been working at WWE’s headquarters in Connecticut between 2019 and 2022.
The case document mentioned how McMahon “expected and directed Ms Grant to engage in sexual activity at the WWE headquarters, even during working hours.”
Grant added how McMahon had pressurised her into resigning from WWE by signing an NDA or a non-closure agreement, (also known as “gagging orders” or “hush agreements”) offering $3m after his wife discovered about the relationship in 2022.
TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of TKO Group Holdings has said to BBC, “Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE… While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”
Ms Grant has added during Thursday’s legal filing that the WWE’s special committee has never contacted her or requested documents from her and called their investigation “a sham” as the company has attempted to ‘sweep the matter under the rug.”
