Update On Vince McMahon Lawsuit, Former WWE Talent Considering Legal Action
More details on Janel Grant's lawsuit against McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and other WWE executives.
Content warning; discussion of alleged sexual assault
With Vince McMahon having been forced to resign in disgrace for a second time in the midst of allegations of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse from former WWE employee Janel Grant, there's now some new information on this ever-developing situation.
Previously, McMahon, John Laurinaitis, several unnamed WWE figures, and a former WWE World Champion and UFC fighter - who The Wall Street Journal identify as Brock Lesnar - were referenced in Janel Grant's lawsuit. Since then, Laurinaitis' attorney, Edward Brennan, has stated how his client is also a "victim" of McMahon's in all of this.
Via Fightful Select, one long-time WWE employee told the outlet that Laurinaitis had been viewed as McMahon's "fall guy" since the summer of 2022. Laurinaitis was believed to have had "some sort of golden parachute" that meant he was taken care of financially. However, with the possibility of actual charges being filed against him, this was seen as the turning point for John Laurinaitis on Vince McMahon.
Since being named by Janel Grant, Laurinaitis' lawyer has noted how, despite WWE previously denying all knowledge of such accusations, Laurinaitis and those in upper management were aware of Ashley Massaro's claims that she was drugged and raped by somebody posing as a US Army doctor during a WWE public relations tour of Kuwait military bases in 2006. A WWE source added how Laurinaitis is doing this because "he thinks he's doing himself favors by saying management knew and proper WWE protocols were followed", but that "too many things happened there under his watch"
Fightful has spoken to one former WWE talent who is "weighing the options" of telling their own story either through the media or by taking legal action. Obviously, the identity of this talent has not been made public at this time.
As for the unnamed WWE executives referred to in Janel Grant's lawsuit, the identity of those "remains a mystery" to many within WWE. One high-up WWE source did note how they're under the impression that one of those executives had "long been gone from WWE".