An update has emerged in the ongoing shareholder lawsuit against Vince McMahon, revealing that the former WWE Chairman is resisting efforts to hand over documents related to sexual misconduct allegations.
The lawsuit, filed in November 2023 by the Laborers’ District Council and Contractors’ Pension Fund of Ohio in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, alleges that McMahon predetermined WWE’s merger with UFC under Endeavor to form TKO. Plaintiffs claim McMahon favoured Endeavor because other potential buyers were unwilling to keep him on board due to the misconduct allegations.
The case has now moved into the discovery phase, where plaintiffs are seeking non-privileged materials dated between January 1, 2022, and March 12, 2024. A public version of an April 29 motion, filed this week and reported by Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, shows that the plaintiffs are asking the court to compel McMahon to provide documents related to “Sexual Misconduct Topics.”
These include materials involving allegations of sexual misconduct, non-disclosure agreements, and internal investigations. The plaintiffs argue that such documents are directly relevant to understanding McMahon’s motivations for regaining control of WWE’s board in January 2023 and pushing through the TKO merger.
According to the filing, McMahon has declined to produce any such documents unless they explicitly relate to the merger or involve specific executives. He has also excluded key internal communications, including those reflecting his mindset when allegations first surfaced in 2022 and discussions with board members he later removed.
The plaintiffs stress that they are not trying to re-examine the underlying misconduct allegations but are instead focused on how those issues influenced McMahon’s decision-making.
McMahon has until May 14 to formally oppose the motion, which could lead to the court compelling him to comply with discovery.
What Update Happened Recently In The Vince McMahon / Janel Grant Lawsuit?
Recently, Janel Grant’s legal team scored a victory on the ongoing lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. In January, Grant’s team filed a motion to amend the lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. In the amended suit, Grant named several high-profile employees, including Brock Lesnar, Nick Khan, and Michael Hayes.
A recent report stated that Judge Sarah J. Russell has ruled to accept Grant’s amended complaint while also ruling to hold off on discovery for now. She will, however, allow Grant’s team to request specific “motion-related” discovery that would apply specifically to the issue of arbitration.