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A former WWE employee filed a federal lawsuit Thursday accusing executive Vince McMahon and another former executive of sexual misconduct, including offering a star wrestler for sex.
The 67-page lawsuit by Janel Grant, who worked in the company’s legal and talent departments, includes allegations that McMahon, now 78, forced her into a sexual relationship so she could get and keep a job and passed pornographic photographs and videos. from her to other men, including other WWE employees.
McMahon resigned as WWE CEO in 2022 amid an investigation into allegations that match those in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, where WWE is headquartered.
The lawsuit also names WWE and John Laurinaitis, the company’s former head of talent relations and general manager, as defendants.
Grant’s representatives said she wanted to make her allegations public.
“Ms. Grant hopes her lawsuit will prevent other women from being victimized,” her attorney, Ann Callis, said in a statement. “The organization is well aware of Mr. McMahon’s history of depraved behavior, and it is time for them to take responsibility for his leadership’s misconduct.”
A spokesperson for McMahon issued a statement saying he will “vigorously defend himself.”
“This lawsuit is filled with lies, made-up obscene cases that never happened, and vindictive distortion of the truth,” the spokesperson said.
WWE’s parent company, TKO Group, also issued a statement saying it is taking the allegations seriously.
“Mr. McMahon does not control TKO or supervise the day-to-day operations of WWE,” TKO Group said. “While this matter predates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”
The Associated Press left Laurinaitis emails and social media messages seeking comment.
According to the lawsuit, McMahon lived in the same building as Grant and in 2019 offered to get him a job with WWE after his parents died. She alleges that he eventually made it clear that one of the job requirements was a physical relationship with him and later with Laurinaitis and others.
Over the next few years, McMahon lavished her with gifts, including a luxury car, the lawsuit says.
It also alleges that McMahon offered one of his star wrestlers, a person not named in the lawsuit, sex with Grant as a benefit in 2021.
“WWE financially benefited from the commercial sex acts enterprise orchestrated by McMahon, including by having wrestling talent, such as WWE Superstars, sign new contracts with WWE after McMahon presented the plaintiff as a sexual product. for your use,” the lawsuit states.
Grant is seeking unspecified monetary damages and for the court to void a $3 million nondisclosure agreement, from which she alleges she received only $1 million.
McMahon was the leader and most recognizable face of WWE for decades. When he bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, wrestling matches were held in small venues and appeared on local cable channels.
WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums and the organization has a considerable following abroad.
WWE merged with the company that runs the UFC in April to create the $21.4 billion sports entertainment company TKO Group Holdings, and McMahon serves as executive chairman of that group’s board of directors.