Vince McMahon paid the employee to remain quiet, according to sex abuse lawsuit.
Vince McMahon has been accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault by a former WWE employee. According to a lawsuit filed on Thursday, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, McMahon paid the employee to remain quiet about the incident over several years.
The allegations come from Janel Grant, a former employee who worked at WWE’s headquarters, over a year after an investigation into other allegations against McMahon while he was serving as chairman and CEO of the company.
The lawsuit was filed in Connecticut district court. Grant alleged that she was promised a job by McMahon at the company in exchange for sex. Also, the lawsuit states that Grant was trafficked to other men, in and out of the WWE, including stars that McMahon was hoping to return to the company. The lawsuit also states that Grant was paid a total of $3 million over several years to remain quiet.
A spokesperson for TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company, commented on the recent lawsuit.
“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.”
McMahon stepped down as Chairman and CEO of WWE in June 2022 once investigations began. He has since returned as the executive chairman of TKO in January 2023.
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Lawsuit & Allegations Against Vince McMahon
A prior investigation into Vince McMahon claimed that he paid a hush money amount of $3 million to settle with a former employee who he had an affair with. This lawsuit filed by Grant did not say that she was this former employee from the investigation. It claims that the WWE was aware of McMahon’s relationship with Grant and actively hid any wrongdoing.
According to the lawsuit, Grant met McMahon in 2019 while looking for a job. It continues to state that McMahon pressured Grant into a physical relationship and promised “career-making and life-changing” aspects to her. The lawsuit also states that McMahon, along with former WWE superstar, John Laurinaitis, assaulted Grant in the WWE headquarters.
“Ms. Grant was exploited during her time of employment with WWE and was subjected to countless depraved and humiliating acts, which has led to severe and permanent trauma.”
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In September, WWE merged with Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor group, which is the parent company of UFC, to form TKO. The deal is valued at over $21 billion. This week, TKO shared that Dwayne Johnson would join the company’s board of directors. Also, that Netflix would become the exclusive home of “WWE Raw” beginning in 2025 on a 10-year deal worth over $5 billion.
The lawsuit continues to be ongoing and more details will come to light once the investigation continues.
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