A judge ruled in Janel Grant’s favor in the latest update in her ongoing lawsuit against Vince McMahon.
In January of 2024, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE that contained horrifying allegations of grooming, abuse, and sex trafficking. On January 26th, McMahon resigned from all duties with TKO and WWE while continuing to deny the allegations against him.
The lawsuit was put on pause in June at the request of the US Department of Justice, but the suit resumed in December. McMahon recently reached a $1.7 million settlement with the SEC related to incorrect financial reporting related NDA’s.
On January 31st of 2025 Janel Grant’s team filed a motion to amend the lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Lauranaitis, and WWE. In the amended suit, Grant named several high-profile WWE employees, including Brock Lesnar, Nick Khan, and Michael Hayes. McMahon’s team was quick to respond, calling the motion to amend a “bad faith attempt” to sway public opinion and claiming that the case be moved to arbitration in accordance with the terms of Grant’s NDA.
In March, Grant’s team asked that the case move forward into discovery, with McMahon’s team once again hitting back and asking for arbitration.
Now, POST Wrestling reports 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.
In her ruling that accepted the amended complaint, Russell wrote:
“It is certainly clear that some of Grant’s proposed amendments include facts she knew or should have known when she filed the Complaint. But her newly pleaded facts do not deprive Defendants of their ability to timely assert that her claims are subject to arbitration. I accordingly decline to find her amendments are in bad faith.”
Janel Grant’s Team Responds To Latest Development In McMahon Lawsuit
Representatives for Grant issued the following statement to POST Wrestling:
“We’re grateful that Judge Sarah Russell let the facts prevail today and granted our motion to amend Janel Grant’s complaint against Vince McMahon and WWE. The amended complaint is essential to understanding the extent of McMahon’s abuse and trafficking of Ms. Grant and the degree to which WWE failed her. We look forward to moving forward with Ms. Grant’s amended complaint and taking another step toward bringing the truth to light and ensuring Ms. Grant’s allegations against McMahon and WWE are taken seriously.”