Warning: This report contains extremely graphic sexual allegations contained in a federal lawsuit.
A former employee of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) filed a lawsuit this week in federal court that accused former Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon of sex trafficking and numerous alleged instances of extreme sexual acts and abuse.
Attorneys for Janel Grant filed the lawsuit on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Connecticut. Details contained in the lawsuit appear to match allegations that surfaced in 2022 that led to McMahon stepping down from WWE. The lawsuit seeks to void a non-disclosure agreement and seeks an unspecified amount for punitive damages and Grant’s legal fees.
Grant, who worked for the company from 2019 to 2022, alleges that she was in a vulnerable state when she met McMahon because her parents had just died and she had effectively devoted her life to “around-the-clock caregiving.”
After meeting McMahon for the first time in late March 2019, he allegedly slowly ramped up the physical contact that he had with her over a period of several weeks in what appeared to be an attempt to break down boundaries with her.
In late April 2019, she visited his condo and was greeted by him while he was in “wearing only briefs,” the lawsuit said. “Shocked, Ms. Grant turned around and apologized, as McMahon laughed and asked her to turn around. He then handed her a shirt and asked for help with the buttons.”
Several weeks later, on May 5, 2019, before she gained employment with WWE, Grant said she visited his condo again, at which time he allegedly told her to kiss him. According to the lawsuit, she ended up lying down with him in bed and he allegedly began “forcibly kissed her and began pulling down a strap on her sweater.”
On May 11, 2019, Grant says she once again visited him as her employment opportunity came closer to fruition. During the visit, “McMahon then undressed down to his briefs, while Ms. Grant remained clothed, and he began kissing Ms. Grant and inserting his hands into her pants without consent,” the lawsuit said.
McMahon allegedly once again summoned her to his apartment on May 18, 2019, during which time he allegedly “stated, ‘This is what I have been waiting for’ as he performed oral sex on Ms. Grant. … Feeling that she was being used for his gratification, Ms. Grant went numb and was unable to make eye contact. McMahon then flipped on his back and said, ‘Okay, j*ck ’em off.’”
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She allegedly tried to end their physical relation in June 2019, the day before starting at WWE, to which he said there was no need to and he allegedly reminded her that talking about their relationship could get her into trouble.
After starting work at the company, McMahon allegedly would text her sexual messages and she says that she felt forced to respond to keep her job. She began to experience panic attacks at work, the lawsuit says.
He allegedly began calling her degrading names and told her he wanted people to watch them engage in sexual activity. “McMahon was adamant about having Ms. Grant send him explicit photographs, impressing upon her that it was part of her sexuality,” the lawsuit said. “Given the control that McMahon had over Ms. Grant’s employment, she felt compelled to comply and sent the explicit photographs to McMahon’s mobile device.”
She says that she was assured that the photos would only remain between them.
McMahon allegedly “caused Ms. Grant to sustain physical injuries, including bleeding and pain, from forceful use of sex toys,” the lawsuit said. “Despite Ms. Grant’s plea to cease any further sexual activity, the number of sexual encounters increased, as did McMahon’s physical aggression during them.”
The following are the most explosive allegations contained in the lawsuit:
- “McMahon was most aggressive when using the certain sex toys named after male WWE wrestlers and performers. McMahon named the sex toys so that the color of the toy matched the race of the wrestler—for example, a black ‘dildo’ would be named after an African American wrestler and a white ‘dildo’ would be named after a Caucasian wrestler. In addition to McMahon’s infatuation with pretending that other men (and, namely, certain WWE talent) were in the room with them, this was yet another incremental step in desensitizing Ms. Grant to his fantasy, and eventual demands that she perform sexual acts for and/or have sexual contact with others within WWE.”
- McMahon allegedly shared explicit photos and videos of Grant with people inside and outside of the company and those people shared the pornographic content with their friends.
- In May 2020, McMahon allegedly forced Grant to have a threesome with him and his physical therapist. Grant said she did not want to because she thought she would be thrown around like a “rag doll” by the two individuals.
- Early during the alleged May 2020 threesome, “McMahon immediately directed Ms. Grant to lay down on her back in a supplicating position. While straddling over her, McMahon defecated on Ms. Grant’s head. McMahon left to shower off, but he instructed Ms. Grant to remain in place, with excrement in her hair, and to continue performing for his friend. While Ms. Grant requested protection, none was offered. McMahon and Physical Therapist actively continued with the threesome and directed Ms. Grant’s sexual performance for around an hour and a half while she was left covered in feces.”
- He sent her extremely graphic sexual text messages expressing his desire for her to engage in rough and degrading group sex, including his desire for her to be penetrated by “3 BIG BLACK D***S in ALL 3 holes at the same time!!!”
- “Grant sustained brutal and painful injuries, including bleeding, swelling, bruising, and spans of incontinence resulting from McMahon’s forceful use of his fists, adult toys, and objects unsafe for vaginal insertion or penetration.”
- “McMahon advertised her to others and told her that he had found another person to join them: Defendant [WWE executive] John Laurinaitis. In November 2020, McMahon pressed Ms. Grant to make explicit photos and videos to send to Laurinaitis. … On or about December 29, 2020, a threesome was arranged between McMahon, Laurinaitis, and Ms. Grant at McMahon’s condo – McMahon instructed her to tell Laurinaitis that she was a neighbor and girlfriend working in the legal field (but not at WWE). Shortly after meeting Laurinaitis, Ms. Grant asked him if she was the first woman whom McMahon had introduced him to in such a setting. Laurinaitis failed to respond and shot a look directly at McMahon, who quickly intervened by kissing Ms. Grant and initiating the sexual encounter amongst the three of them.”
- “McMahon constantly reinforced the expectation that Ms. Grant sexually perform for him and her new boss Laurinaitis, both in and out of the office. McMahon wrote on March 22, 2021, ‘Do U promise to make me proud Baby? Will U show him what a Porno Star U can B. Will U Show Off for me like never before ????’ and ‘On days when he’s in town, I want him to f*** U every morning and later In the office too.’”
- “As soon as Ms. Grant began working directly for Laurinaitis, forcible touching and overtly sexual behaviors became part of daily life when he was in the office. On numerous occasions, Ms. Grant was directed to visit Laurinaitis at his hotel room before work to serve herself to him as his ‘breakfast.’ These devastating experiences made Ms. Grant feel as though she were being pimped out as an object for sexual gratification for her new boss.”
- On June 15, 2021, McMahon and Laurinaitis allegedly ignored her plea to not have a threesome “and brought her into Laurinaitis’ office, forcibly touching and undressing her before forcing her to engage in a threesome on a conference table. Ms. Grant pleaded, ‘No, no, no’ and ‘Please stop’; McMahon responded with ‘No means yes.’ Ms. Grant again told them to stop. Instead, McMahon licked his fingers and penetrated Ms. Grant and said, ‘Take it, b****.’ With each taking turns restraining her for the other, Laurinaitis then joined by forcibly shoving his tongue, then penis, into Ms. Grant’s mouth.”
- McMahon allegedly used Grant to send sexually explicit material to a top WWE performer that he wanted her to have sex with. “As in other instances, McMahon described his fantasy of seeing Ms. Grant engaged in unmerciful sexual acts with WWE Superstar during which he would ‘rip’ her open,” the lawsuit said.
- McMahon allegedly role played as the WWE Superstar and during the encounter “was so physically rough with Ms. Grant during this encounter, that Ms. Grant begged McMahon to stop numerous times, including loud cries of ‘Help!’ ‘I’m serious!’ and ‘I’m scared!’ as he – among other things – penetrated her, fisted her, pulled her hair, pinned her, shoved her, and open-palm slapped her. McMahon’s assault caused Ms. Grant to break down weeping and curl into the fetal position with her arms pulled up to protect her face. McMahon alternated between slaps and shoves before admitting that ‘I’m really f***ing up with you right and left tonight, huh?’ McMahon forbade Ms. Grant from leaving his condo that night unless she could verbally assure him that there wasn’t a problem and everything between them was okay.”
- After the NDA was signed, McMahon continued to engage sexually with Grant, according to the lawsuit. “After the NDA was signed, McMahon, wearing only a white robe, met Ms. Grant in his condo to review outstanding business items. As Ms. Grant was proceeding to the door to leave, McMahon grabbed her arm before she exited and commanded her to do ‘one last thing’ and get ‘on your knees.’ As Ms. Grant knelt on the hard floor, barely a few feet away from the front door, McMahon opened his robe and ordered her to ‘Eat him!’ McMahon grabbed the back of Ms. Grant’s head and slammed her face into his crotch a couple times until she gagged and pushed him away, telling him to stop and that she couldn’t breathe. McMahon responded that she wouldn’t get away that easily and held her head as he forced himself back in her mouth until she had no air. Ms. Grant tried to push him away but he held her head firmly in place and loudly commanded her to ‘Look up!’ followed by ‘Take it, b****.’ They momentarily made eye contact before McMahon’s force caused Ms. Grant’s body to convulse and retch with tears streaming down her face. McMahon then released his hold and closed his robe as she stood up. After leaving, Ms. Grant never saw McMahon again.”
McMahon was the target of a federal search warrant and a grand jury subpoena last July, according to a statement from the corporation.
A report published by CNBC tied the subpoena and the search warrant – which was reportedly executed on July 17 by federal law enforcement – to the allegations against McMahon regarding payments he reportedly made to a number of women following accusations of sexual impropriety.
The search came one year after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors launched an investigation into the payments, which were disclosed by the WWE just days after McMahon retired as CEO. At the time, the WWE reported $14.6 million in expenses that were paid out personally by McMahon — none of which had been recorded previously.
McMahon through a spokesperson dismissed the claims as “a vindictive distortion of the truth,” and vowed to “vigorously defend himself.”
Virginia Kruta contributed to this report.
