Janel Grant’s attorneys are looking to move forward with their lawsuit against Vince McMahon.
In February, Janel Grant’s legal team filed to amend their ongoing lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon, and John Laurinaitis. The amended lawsuit named Brock Lesnar as well as Executives Nick Khan and Brad Blum for the first time. It also featured new allegations and evidence, including text messages and voicemail transcriptions.
Representatives of the defendants soon responded to the new claims, with McMahon’s legal representation claiming it was a “bad faith attempt” to sway public opinion and that Grant should be held to the NDA she signed before filing her initial suit. WWE’s representatives stated that the amendments do not dispute their long-held stance that the suit should be settled out of public court, as per the arbitration clause in the NDA signed between Grant and McMahon.
Now, Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling has reported that Grant’s legal team is attempting to move the case forward. They have asked the court to allow the suit to move to discovery, where both sides would turn over documents and other evidence.
The list of evidence sought by Grant’s attorneys includes communication records from WWE and documents relating to McMahon’s payments to several women. They have also asked for records of the company’s policies related to sexual harassment.
In response, the defendants have claimed the move would be premature, continuing to argue that the case should be resolved through private arbitration. An attorney representing WWE argued that, due to local rules in Connecticut federal court, discovery can be delayed while the judge, Sarah F. Russell, decides whether the case should be sent to arbitration or proceed in court.
Janel Grant’s Legal Team Comments On Latest Filing In Vince McMahon Lawsuit
Grant’s spokesperson, Kendra Barkoff-Lamy, told POST Wrestling that the intention of the filing is to move forwards with her pursuit of justice and accountability.
“Janel Grant’s courage continues to be an inspiration to so many. Her filing today seeks to move forward with her pursuit of justice and accountability against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE for the horrific sex trafficking and abuse inflicted upon her.”
A ruling is also still to be made on whether Grant’s amended complaint will be accepted as the operative complaint for the lawsuit.