Janel Grant has officially amended her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE, further alleging that McMahon sexually assaulted and trafficked her while she was employed by WWE. The suit also claims that Laurinaitis became an active participant and that WWE was aware of the situation.
However, McMahon’s legal team has filed an opposition in an attempt to block Grant’s motion to amend her complaint, arguing that her request is both untimely and made in bad faith.
According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, McMahon’s legal team specifically disputes new allegations surrounding an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) signed in January 2022, which is a key element in the case.
“[Grant’s] filing is teeming with proposed additional allegations” that were available to her when she filed her initial complaint “and is a bad faith attempt to use this Court’s docket to gain an advantage in the court of public opinion,” stated by McMahon’s attorneys, led by Jessica T. Rosenberg of the Akin Gump firm.
The following is from Wrestlenomics:
“McMahon’s side contends that Grant has provided no legitimate reason for the delay in filing the amendment and that many of the proposed changes—few of which, they say, are even new allegations—are legally futile. The filing accuses Grant’s legal team of attempting to inject “stale” allegations for media attention, citing her attorneys’ previous statements. The opposition document also asserts that many of Grant’s new claims stem from information she purportedly had when the lawsuit was initially filed but chose not to include at the time.
In response, Grant’s legal team issued a statement to BJ Bethal, refuting these claims:
“Vince McMahon’s latest filing serves only to cover up the years of round-the-clock abuse and exploitation Janel Grant suffered at the hands of WWE’s top executives. Her amended complaint is key to understanding Ms. Grant’s commodification at the company in all its sordid details. The amended complaint brings into clearer focus that Ms. Grant’s “job” was never to support the mission of WWE — it was only to satisfy the twisted desires of Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis. It’s time for the full truth to come to light.”
Now, Judge Sarah F. Russell will determine whether Grant can proceed with the amended lawsuit. If the court denies her motion, the case will move forward in its original form, as it was first filed in January 2024.
