25 January 2024 , 18:10
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WWE boss Vince McMahon has been accused of sex trafficking by a former member of staff, who claims he "defecated on her during a threesome".
Janel Grant, who used to work at WWE headquarters, filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming she was "abused and sexually exploited" by McMahon while he was chief executive of the world-leading wrestling promotion. Grant was due to receive $3million (£2.4m) after signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) in 2022, which instructed her not to discuss her relationship with McMahon.
Grant claims in court documents that on May 9, 2020, McMahon defecated on her and "commanded her to continue pleasuring" another man with his faeces still on her body.
The WWE has also been named in the lawsuit, which alleges McMahon made promises of career advancement and exploited Grant before "trafficking her to men inside the company". The lawsuit has been filed in a Connecticut federal court, near the WWE's base in Stamford, and alleges McMahon and an unnamed executive "locked Grant in an office" in 2021 and "took turns sexually assaulting her".
It is also alleged McMahon locked Grant in his private dressing room at WWE HQ and he forced himself on her over a massage table. Grant claims she was later given a $15,000 gift card for Bloomingdale's by an assistant.
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Grant claims she met McMahon in March 2019. At the time, she was dealing with "profound grief" and financial problems after the death of her parents, who required full-time care and lost their home to bankruptcy.
The plaintiff says McMahon "dangled" life-changing job opportunities in front of her while "demonstrating an increasing lack of boundaries", including greeting her for meetings wearing only his underwear and touching her. Grant says McMahon shared intimate details about his personal life and warned her to "keep their closeness secret".
Grant says McMahon started sharing sexually explicit images and videos of her with other men in 2020, both inside and outside of the WWE, including "a world-famous athlete and former UFC Heavyweight Champion with whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract" who is not named in the lawsuit.
McMahon is facing a long list of allegations in the lawsuit that was filed on Thursday. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)The lawsuit also alleges McMahon and former WWE head of talent relations John Laurinitis "sexually assaulted" Grant in Laurinitis' office. Grant says she "begged them to stop" but they "took turns restraining her", while allegedly saying "No means yes" and "Take it, b****".
Grant claims McMahon's wife, Linda, found out about their relationship in January 2022, at which point he told the staffer her time with the WWE was over and that he wanted her to sign an NDA to "ensure her silence". Grant says she "succumbed to the pressure" and signed the document. However, she claims McMahon soon stopped making payments.
Grant says she suffered various injuries from her encounters with McMahon, specifically from his "aggressive use of sex toys", some of which he named after WWE wrestlers. She also claims McMahon threatened to "rape her in the hallway" in a text message. It is also alleged McMahon flew a WWE superstar into Connecticut for what was described as a "business dinner", but was instead to set up a sexual encounter. However, it is said the wrestler was too intoxicated and was taken back to the plane.
An investigation into Grant's claims was launched by the WWE when it received an anonymous tip in 2022 about her relationship with McMahon. The board investigation unearthed payments made to other women by the CEO. Grant's lawsuit seeks unspecified financial damages and to void the nondisclosure agreement.
McMahon denied any wrongdoing after a federal probe was launched in 2023. (WWE)McMahon's lawyer Jerry McDevitt said in 2022 when the story came to light that Grant – who was unnamed at the time – had not lodged any harassment allegations. In response to the allegations and media reporting about the settlement, the WWE insisted the relationship between McMahon, 78, and Grant was consensual, although it was taking allegations of misconduct "seriously".
McMahon, who founded WWE in 1980 as the World Wrestling Federation, retired from the company after the story came to light in July 2022 and the organisation's board retained the Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett law firm to lead an independent investigation. The probe found payments totalling $14.6m (£11.5m) to women who accused McMahon of sexual misconduct.
The WWE said its investigation was complete in November 2022 and financial documents were corrected, with McMahon picking up the company's bill for the investigation. However, Grant's lawsuit could raise questions about the independent investigation conducted in 2022.
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No criminal charges have been brought against McMahon, and he said last year amid a federal probe into his conduct: "Throughout this experience, I have always denied any intentional wrongdoing and continue to do so. I am confident that the government’s investigation will be resolved without any findings of wrongdoing.”
McMahon returned to WWE in 2023 and negotiated the sale of the promotion to Endeavor Group, which owns the UFC. The deal valued the WWE at almost $10billion (£7.9b). McMahon has now taken the role of executive chairman and is a significant shareholder in the TKO Group, which oversees the WWE and UFC. This week, the organization negotiated a $5b (£3.9b) deal that will see Netflix become the new home of the WWE's flagship Monday Night Raw show.