A former WWE employee, Janel Grant, has filed a lawsuit against the company and its former CEO, Vince McMahon, alleging sexual battery and trafficking. Grant has requested that WWE not enforce nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with other former and current employees and contractors so that they can potentially come forward with similar accusations.
In response to Grant's lawsuit, McMahon stepped down as WWE's CEO in 2022 amid an investigation into the allegations. He also resigned as the executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings. McMahon has denied Grant's allegations, calling them "replete with lies" and a "vindictive distortion of the truth."
Grant's lawyer, Ann Callis, has stated that releasing former WWE employees from their NDAs is the first step to rehabilitating a company that allegedly covered up decades of sexual assault and human trafficking. McMahon's lawyers have claimed that he had a consensual relationship with Grant and never mistreated her.
Grant alleges that she was pressured into leaving her job at WWE and signing a $3 million NDA, which she now seeks to have declared invalid. The lawsuit also states that McMahon breached the agreement by failing to pay the full amount promised.
This request from Grant to waive the NDAs is similar to actions taken by other companies when sexual misconduct allegations have arisen. The use of NDAs to silence accusers while allowing alleged abusers to avoid accountability has been criticized by victims' lawyers. Laws have been implemented to curb the use of NDAs that block victims of sexual harassment from speaking publicly about their allegations.
McMahon's legacy in the wrestling industry is significant, as he transformed the World Wrestling Federation into a worldwide phenomenon. The lawsuit brought forward by Grant sheds light on the allegations of sexual misconduct within WWE and has sparked a larger conversation about accountability and transparency in the industry.