Janel Grant Pushes for Discovery in Lawsuit Against McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE

Janel Grant has officially amended her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE, reaffirming allegations that McMahon sexually assaulted and trafficked her during her employment with WWE. The updated complaint further implicates Laurinaitis as a participant and maintains that WWE was aware of the situation while it was ongoing.

In a significant development, Grant’s legal team has filed a motion requesting the court to initiate the discovery phase in the case. However, McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE have opposed this request, asserting that it is premature. The defendants continue to push for the matter to be resolved through private arbitration, referencing a nondisclosure agreement that includes an arbitration clause, which sits at the heart of the legal battle.

Judge Sarah F. Russell now holds the responsibility of deciding whether the discovery phase should begin before ruling on the defense's motion to compel arbitration. Her decision will determine the procedural course, weighing the plaintiff’s pursuit of transparency against the defendants’ insistence on a confidential resolution process.

According to POST Wrestling's Brandon Thurston, “The filings state the plaintiffs’ request for documents ‘may include any subsidiary and/or current or former executive, employee, contractor, agent, and/or similarly situated personnel of WWE, TKO, and/or Endeavor Group Holdings.’”

Grant’s legal filing outlines a request for documentation related to Vince McMahon’s past financial settlements with other women, as well as WWE’s internal policies on sexual harassment. Furthermore, her attorneys are seeking travel records involving McMahon, Laurinaitis, and Brock Lesnar.

In the lawsuit, Grant reiterates claims of sexual assault by both McMahon and Laurinaitis. As part of her trafficking allegations, she claims that sexual encounters with her were offered to Lesnar during his WWE contract renegotiations.

The defendants have countered that engaging in discovery at this stage could lead to unnecessary expenditure of resources, particularly if the court ultimately sides with arbitration. An email from a Paul Weiss attorney representing WWE, included as an exhibit in Friday’s court filing, states that “local rules in Connecticut federal court allow discovery to be delayed until the judge decides whether the case will proceed in court or be sent to arbitration.”