John Laurinaitis Claims He Is "A Victim" In Vince McMahon Sex Trafficking Suit
Attorney for John Laurinaitis calls McMahon "a predator", claims "truth will come out".
John Laurinaitis might be a co-defendant alongside former boss Vince McMahon in a shocking sex trafficking lawsuit filed last month, but his attorney claimed Thursday that his client is "a victim" of the former WWE chairman, similar to the plaintiff who brought the suit.
In a comment to VICE News Thursday, Laurinaitis' attorney Edward Brennan confirmed that he is representing the former WWE executive and then added:
“Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in Court, not the media. Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”
In response to a followup question seeking to clarify that he was indeed saying that McMahon was the predator and that Laurinaitis, like Grant, was a victim, Brennan wrote;
“Read the allegations. Read the Federal Statute. Power, control, employment supervisory capacity, dictatorial sexual demands with repercussions if not met. Count how many times in the complaint Vince exerts control over both of them.”
Former WWE employee Janel Grant filed the suit in federal court against McMahon, WWE and Laurinaitis last week claiming that the two men sexually assaulted her in WWE's offices, with the former chairman trafficking her to Laurinaitis, allegedly scheduling appointments for Grant to service the former head of talent relations sexually.
By claiming Laurinaitis is a victim "like the plaintiff" and instructing VICE to "read the allegations," Brennan could be previewing a legal strategy for Laurinaitis and how he might separate himself from -- and even side against -- his co-defendant McMahon.
In the wake of the lawsuit last week, McMahon once again resigned in disgrace, this time from serving as executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings and on its board of directors. TKO is the parent company of WWE.
The 67-page court document can be read in full here. Reader discretion is advised - the lawsuit goes into graphic detail of the alleged multiple incidents and interactions between Grant, McMahon, Laurinaitis and others between 2019 and 2022.