A former worker of Vince McMahon’s wrestling and entertainment company, WWE, has filed a lawsuit against its creator, alleging that McMahon engaged in improper behaviour while serving as the company’s CEO. According to the lawsuit, McMahon and other executives allegedly engaged in sexual assault and harassment. It also claims that McMahon used him specifically as a “pawn” to smuggle other individuals to “secure talent deals.”
General Grant, a former employee of WWE, filed the lawsuit in the Connecticut District Court on Thursday, naming McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis as the former head of talent relations.
The case, which includes allegations of sexual abuse and years of systemic sexual and emotional misconduct, alleges that McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE violated the Smuggling Victims Protection Act. Grant claimed that while he worked for WWE, he was mistreated. In addition to requesting an unspecified amount of money in damages, the lawsuit declares that Grant’s non-disclosure agreements, which he signed during his employment, are void and “are invalid and unenforceable against any claims by Plaintiff against McMahon and WWE.”
RESPONSE FROM Vince McMahon
Requests for response from WWE and McMahon’s representatives were not immediately answered.
The foundational firms of WWE and UFC released a statement through TKO Group Holdings, saying, “Mr. McMahon does not oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE or control TKO.” Even though the TKO Executive Team was not employed by the company when this issue arose, we are taking Ms. Grant’s grave accusations seriously and are handling the situation internally.”
Two days after the TKO group, marking a huge milestone in the history of the franchise, inked a 10-year, 0 million-a-year agreement with Netflix for WWE’s “Monday Night Raw,” the complaint was launched. Nevertheless, inquiries regarding legal problems have not received an immediate response from Netflix staff. In addition to the Netflix agreement, Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as “The Rock,” became a board member of TKO Group and obtained trademark ownership. The lawsuits follow McMahon’s June 2022 resignation as WWE CEO amid probes into his financial transactions, including payments of .6 million in 2007 for purported misbehaviour. According to Grant’s lawsuit, McMahon and Laurinaitis engaged in sexual harassment and smuggling with Grant using WWE’s resources and funds, “both as a pleasure for themselves and as a means to secure talent deals with potential wrestlers they were recruiting.” It is reported that McMahon persisted in this behaviour with actors, wrestlers, and other WWE staff members. In addition, the lawsuit claims that McMahon attempted to coerce Grant into leaving WWE by signing a sizable financial settlement only days before submitting an NDA to the SEC, threatening him with bodily danger and financial disaster. Grant asserts that McMahon then recanted his payment, claiming that the press article he had leaked was a fabrication. Although McMahon had given Grant a million dollars in February 2022, Grant claimed that McMahon had stopped making payments after that. Grant’s allegation states that in March 2019, he met with McMahon in their shared flat block. Later that year, in June, Grant claims he was physically coerced into what was called a “slat” room and was then assigned to a surface-level role in WWE’s legal department as an “Administrator-Coordinator,” which had been formed by McMahon. Grant was moved to the Talent Relations Department by McMahon in March 2021, under the direction of Laurinaitis. The case highlights a contentious legal dispute involving grave accusations against prominent WWE executives, indicating a difficult time for the well-known wrestling and entertainment business.
McMahon allegedly “engaged individuals to foster intimate connections with Ms. Grant,” as per reports Grant and/or both, instructing Defendant Laurinaitis to meet with her” while McMahon was the CEO of WWE and Grant was an Entry-Level Coordinator in the legal department. Even at WWE headquarters, she was expected and directed to have sex during the workday, the lawsuit claims.
The complaint notes that on May 9, 2020, “He ordered Ms Grant to perform oral sex on her ‘friend’—placing a melon in his hair and moving it down his back—while McMahon went to shower off,” noting an instance of McMahon’s “extreme degradation.”
As per the lawsuit, in June of 2021, McMahon and Laurinaitis had “sexual assault against Ms. Grant within Laurinaitis’s office at WWE’s Stamford, Conn. headquarters.”!
As mentioned in the legal filing, she found herself trapped by two men behind a sealed entrance, who proceeded to forcefully pull and handle her before positioning her on a surface on a table in between them. Grant implored them to stop, but they alternated between holding her down and saying, “No means yes” and “Take it, b***h.”
Ann Calis, the lawyer for Grant, released the following statement: “Today’s complaint aims to hold two WWE executives accountable who harassed and assaulted claimant General Grant sexually, as well as the organisation that enabled or covered up the misconduct and then retaliated against her for reporting it. This is done behind the scenes and under the pretence of a pen. She is an extremely courageous and private person who has endured a great deal of suffering at the hands of Mr. Laurinaitis and Mr. Vince McMahon. Ms. Grant is hoping that by bringing her lawsuit, other women will not become victims. The company is well aware of Mr. McMahon’s past wrongdoing, and it is now necessary for him to take accountability for his poor management.”
First reported by the Wall Street Journal, is the lawsuit against McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE.
Representative for Vince McMahon
January 25, 2024, Thursday
In response to the complaint, a representative for Vince McMahon released the following statement:
“There are many lies in this case, outrageous made-up incidents that never happened, and a spiteful misrepresentation of the facts. He’ll put up a fierce fight for himself.