WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused by a former worker of intercourse trafficking. The previous worker, Janel Grant, alleges that McMahon pressured her into having intercourse with him and one other WWE worker in change for her job. 

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in a Connecticut federal court docket, alleges that Grant was employed by McMahon in 2019, after her dad and mom had handed away and she or he was unemployed. “However what appeared like a dream within the spring of 2019 rapidly turned a nightmare,” the lawsuit claims. 

Grant alleges that McMahon pushed her for a sexual relationship in change for the job, and shortly “greeted her in his underwear, touched her, repeatedly requested for hugs, and spent hours sharing intimate particulars about his private life.” As soon as employed, McMahon allegedly shared express pictures of Grant with different WWE staff and wrestlers, and “recruited people to have sexual relations with Ms. Grant” together with WWE staff. 

She additionally alleges that McMahon and one other WWE govt sexually assaulted her “whereas colleagues have been busy at their desks.” 

The lawsuit raises questions on McMahon’s habits in addition to administration at WWE, which is now a part of TKO Group Holdings. In 2022, McMahon stepped again as CEO of WWE whereas the corporate investigated him for alleged misconduct, with the probe centered on claims that he paid hush cash to a employee with whom he allegedly had an affair. A 2022 report within the Wall Road Journal stated that McMahon had agreed to pay greater than $12 million to 4 girls.

WWE’s investigation was “a sham,” Grant’s attorneys allege within the go well with. “[T]he particular committee by no means even bothered to interview Ms. Grant or request any paperwork regardless of Ms. Grant stating that she would cooperate.”

The lawsuit “seeks to carry accountable two WWE executives who sexually assaulted and trafficked Plaintiff Janel Grant, in addition to the group that facilitated or turned a blind eye to the abuse after which swept it underneath the rug,” Ann Callis, legal professional for Grant, informed CBS Information. “The group is effectively conscious of Mr. McMahon’s historical past of wicked habits, and it is time that they take duty for the misconduct of its management.“

McMahon later allegedly pressured Grant to signal a non-disclosure settlement after he informed her that his spouse had came upon about their relationship, in response to the criticism. 

“Finally, Ms. Grant succumbed to the strain and signed the NDA in change for funds – which McMahon later stopped making,” the lawsuit claims. 

The lawsuit is asking a court docket to declare her NDA invalid underneath federal legislation, together with the Trafficking Victims Safety Act. WWE did not instantly return a request for remark. 

In a press release offered to Deadline Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for McMahon stated that “this lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up situations that by no means occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the reality. He’ll vigorously defend himself.”  

“Mr. McMahon doesn’t management TKO, nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE,” a TKO spokesperson informed CBS. “Whereas this matter pre-dates our TKO govt workforce’s tenure on the firm, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very severely and are addressing this matter internally.”

The 67-page lawsuit is full of allegations that embody some disturbing particulars. Under are among the lawsuit’s claims. 

In grief and susceptible

In her declare, Grant depicts herself as down-on-her-luck and affected by grief when she encountered McMahon. In line with the lawsuit, her dad and mom had lately handed away and she or he was looking for work when a pal really useful she attain out to McMahon to ask for recommendation. 

Of their first assembly, McMahon allegedly shared intimate particulars about his life, together with “present household dynamics, together with his separation from Linda McMahon, his traumatic childhood, rising up in poverty,” and informed her “that he did not simply wish to give her a job, however ‘give [her] a life,’ and that he would discover a place for her at WWE.”

However, the lawsuit claims, McMahon quickly overstepped boundaries, starting to groom Grant for sexual exploitation, comparable to by showing in his underwear, asking her for kisses and making sexual advances. 

Aggressive sexual habits

McMahon allegedly demanded that Grant ship him express pictures, and engaged in sexual habits that the lawsuit claims was aggressive, inflicting “bodily accidents, together with bleeding and ache, from forceful use of intercourse toys.” 

McMahon additionally allegedly named his intercourse toys after male WWE wrestlers: “[F]or instance, a black ‘dildo’ could be named after an African American wrestler and a white ‘dildo’ could be named after a Caucasian wrestler.”

The lawsuit additionally consists of purported texts from McMahon to Grant by which he describes his sexual fantasies, in addition to sharing that he had proven male WWE staff her express pictures in addition to tales about their sexual behaviors. 

“I simply handed my cellphone round to a bunch of fellows on the tech crew. They have been screaming!! … “Take a look at {that a}**,” he wrote.

Allegations of intercourse trafficking

The lawsuit claims the connection shifted into intercourse trafficking in 2020, when McMahon allegedly pressured Grant into threesomes with different males, together with McMahon’s bodily therapist and one other WWE govt, John Laurinaitis, who can also be named as a defendant within the lawsuit. 

“On quite a few events, Ms. Grant was directed to go to Laurinaitis at his resort room earlier than work to serve herself to him as his ‘breakfast,'” the lawsuit alleges. “These devastating experiences made Ms. Grant really feel as if she have been being pimped out as an object for sexual gratification for her new boss.”

Declare of sexual assault within the WWE workplace

The lawsuit additionally claims that McMahon and Laurinaitis sexually assaulted her throughout the workday on the WWE workplace. 

In June 2021, when she arrived at work, the pair introduced her into Laurinaitis’ workplace and allegedly assaulted her, regardless of Grant saying “no” and “please cease.” The lawsuit claims that McMahon responded, “No means sure.”

“On a number of different events whereas Ms. Grant labored underneath Laurinaitis, together with after McMahon’s promise that one-on-one encounters would finish – and even after his spouse moved throughout the nation to hitch Laurinaitis – he would name Ms. Grant to his workplace, lock the door, unzip his pants, and instruct Ms. Grant to carry out oral intercourse,” the lawsuit claims.

Grant was allegedly used as a “sexual pawn” to signal a wrestler

The lawsuit additionally claims McMahon used Grant as a “sexual pawn” to entice an unnamed WWE wrestler, known as WWE Famous person within the lawsuit, to signal a brand new contract. 

“In December 2021, McMahon gave Ms. Grant’s private cellphone quantity to WWE Famous person and promised ‘she’ll do something’ requested of her,” the lawsuit alleges. “Within the days that adopted, WWE Famous person revealed a fetish to Ms. Grant and examined McMahon’s promise that Ms. Grant would ‘do something’ with a request that she ship a video of herself urinating.”

Grant stated she “obeyed,” though averted future interactions with the wrestler as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.