Who is Janel Grant? Know all about the former WWE employee who accused Vince McMahon of se*ual abuse

Janel Grant is a former WWE employee who worked at the headquarters from 2019 to 2022.

Who is Janel Grant? Know all about the former WWE employee who accused Vince McMahon of se*ual abuse

Janel Grant and Vince McMahon (via Daily Mail and Wrestling Observer)

For the past few days, WWE has come under a ‘dark cloud’ amid a sexual assault and trafficking lawsuit filed against its founder, Vince McMahon. The plaintiff, Janel Grant, is a former WWE employee who worked at the headquarters from 2019 to 2022. Ms. Grant has accused Vince of sexual harassment, abuse, and trafficking during her tenure. In addition to that, she is one of the women whom the former chairman kept silent with an NDA in 2022.

The lawsuit details Vince McMahon’s alleged vile and horrific abuse of power and how he controlled Grant’s life. The 78-year-old met Janel in March 2019, while the latter suffered financially and emotionally after her parents passed away. McMahon lived in a penthouse duplex in the same apartment building where she lived. The Resident Manager messaged Vince regarding Janel’s situation, trying to help her overcome a tough situation.

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The billionaire did not hesitate and promised Janel Grant a job at WWE. The lawsuit further explained how Vince showed a lack of boundaries as he would greet the plaintiff in his underwear and ask for hugs. Later, it became evident that McMahon wanted a physical relationship in exchange for a promised WWE role. Grant, feeling trapped in an inescapable situation, felt she would lose everything if she didn’t comply. 

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Janel started as an ‘administrator-coordinator’ at HQ in the legal department. This would be the beginning of what would be a horrid experience for Grant in WWE. For almost three years, she would have to endure physical, emotional, and mental abuse by McMahon and his then-right-hand man, John Laurinaitis.

The heinous allegations filed against Vince McMahon

After kickstarting what seemed like a new and prosperous beginning for her, Janel Grant was subject to psychological torture and physical abuse by Vince McMahon. In March 2020, the plaintiff learned that the chairman shared explicit sexual content of her with other men in and outside WWE. Along with the tech crew, executives, and producers, the lawsuit singled out a Superstar, who would later be identified by sources as Brock Lesnar.

Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon (via WWE)

In June 2021, Vince and Laurinaitis sexually assaulted Janel Grant in John’s office at the headquarters. Despite her repeated calls for them to stop, they continued to force themselves on her. The lawsuit shockingly claims that other employees knew what was going on but did nothing to intervene. Instead, they helped conceal McMahon’s wrongdoings.

At the start of 2022, Vince revealed to Janel that his wife, Linda McMahon, found out about their affair. Therefore, to avoid divorce and negative publicity, the 78-year-old informed Grant that her time at WWE was over. Also, McMahon forced her to sign an NDA to ensure that their relationship wasn’t made public. Months later, his hush-money scandal was made public news, leading to his ‘retirement.’ 

The promotion’s interim CEO, Stephanie McMahon, promised that a Special Committee would investigate the matter. However, despite Grant’s willingness to cooperate, nobody from WWE reached out to her. The lawsuit referred to the investigation as a “sham.” After this became public knowledge, WWE received heavy backlash, with calls for Vince to resign. As such, the TKO Execute Chairman left his role on January 26.

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