A new statement has been issued by Janel Grant’s team in relation to the ongoing lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis and WWE.
Back in January 2024, Vince McMahon was accused by Grant, a former employee of WWE, of sexual abuse and trafficking. The allegations saw McMahon resign from the promotion and parent company TKO Holdings the next day. WWE and Laurinaitis are also named as defendants in the case.
The lawsuit was placed in an order of stay by Judge Jeffrey Meyer in June for 6 months and is set to resume in December at the earliest. However, despite the order issued, multiple updates and statements have been issued by both sides since.
The latest update sees Grant’s attorney Ann Callis issue a statement asking for the promotion to release former employees from NDAs that were signed while they were working with the company. Callis’ statement issued to The Associated Press, is as follows:
“If WWE and its parent company Endeavor are serious about parting ways with Vince McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created, their executives should have no problem with releasing former WWE employees from their NDAs. This is the first step to rehabilitating a company that covered up decades of sexual assault and human trafficking.”
In response to the request, McMahon’s spokesperson Curtis Vogel declined to comment and lawyers for WWE and John Laurinaitis did not return emails seeking comments.
As was reported by The Wall Street Journal back in 2022, four women who previously worked for the company all signed NDAs prohibiting them from discussing their relationship with McMahon. It is also confirmed by her representatives that Grant was not one of these 4 women.
The Associated Press also adds that Callis’ request is similar to the requests made by Weinstein Co. and NBC Universal when Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer were respectively investigated for sexual misconduct claims. In both instances, former employees were released from their NDAs.
In a further update, Callis has released the letter that was addressed to the attorneys of McMahon, WWE and Laurinaitis calling on the company to release current and former employees and contractors from their NDAs.
Call for WWE to Release Former and Current Employees and Contractors from Non-Disclosure Agreements
Dear Mr. Toal, Ms. Rosenberg, and Mr. Brennan:
World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (“WWE”) has said that it “takes Ms. Grant’s allegations very seriously and has no tolerance for any physical abuse or unwanted physical contact.” In other words, WWE would like the world to believe that it has reformed its workplace culture. But if WWE is truly committed to change, it must allow survivors to speak their truth without fear of reprisal. We call upon WWE to publicly waive enforcement of its non-disclosure agreements (“NDAs”) to allow its former and current employees and contractors (including wrestlers contracted to perform under the WWE brand) to speak out about sexual misconduct, sexual assault, harassment, and workplace aggression or disputes concerning the toxic culture at WWE.
This includes releasing women who signed NDAs related to sexual misconduct by former CEO Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis and other WWE leadership and employees as conditions of settlement. The toxic and sexualized culture at WWE during Mr. McMahon’s tenure as CEO and Chairman was open and notorious. Yet what has been publicly reported is only part of the picture. We have had witnesses come to us confidentially and describe a sexualized culture at WWE that victimizes women and men.
We have received reports that many victims are currently afraid to come forward because of punitive non-disclosure and non- disparagement agreements. For example, as The Wall Street Journal reported on July 8, 2022, Mr. McMahon paid over $12 million to at least four women to secure their silence about his sexual misconduct. Our client is just one of an untold many. We therefore also ask Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis to affirm that survivors and WWE employees who witnessed abuse may speak about their experiences without fear of retribution and retaliation.
WWE cannot move on from its sordid past while its victims remain silenced. Survivors deserve an opportunity to share their experiences on their terms. Forced silence only deepens the wounds of sexual abuse. Survivors are revictimized every time they are muzzled and forced to live in fear of attack from a multi-billion-dollar business that can hire an army of lawyers to bury them in legal fees if they speak the truth.
Even unenforceable NDAs, like the one our client was coerced to sign, have a chilling effect because individuals do not have the will or resources to fight them. WWE must clarify that any NDAs that it has entered are not intended to prevent disclosure of sexual misconduct, abuse, or assault, and disclaim and waive any claims it may have under those NDAs if current or former employees and contractors choose to speak out.
We urge WWE to quickly and proactively release its current and former employees and contractors from any obligations under any WWE-executed NDA that would prevent them from discussing sexual misconduct, abuse, or assault during their time at WWE without delay. WWE wants people to believe the company has changed—this is its chance to prove it.
Regards,
Ann E. Callis
Janel Grant’s Team Comments On Vince McMahon Docuseries
McMahon became a major talking point in the wrestling news once more in late September when the long-awaited Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon was released on the platform. Throughout the series, McMahon made a number of comments about past scandals which saw many to be shocked. Having now seen the Vince McMahon series, Janel Grant’s team has issued a public statement.
In a further update, Janel Grant’s team have also submitted a new filing against Dr. Carlon Colker.