- Vince McMahon is the emblematic founder of WWE
- He has been accused of sexual assault and trafficking
- THESE are the details of the story
The skeleton of the story is an all-too familiar one. The 67-page legal smackdown, filed in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut, accuses none other than Vince McMahon, the former WWE CEO, of forcing Grant into a sordid sexual relationship to secure her job. The lawsuit also throws punches at John Laurinaitis, WWE's ex-head honcho of talent relations, and the WWE itself.
McMahon's legacy is at stake
Grant, who worked in WWE's legal and talent departments, is not holding back any punches. Her attorney, Ann Callis, laid it out in no uncertain terms: "Ms. Grant hopes that her lawsuit will prevent other women from being victimized." Talk about a heavyweight statement!
The lawsuit alleges McMahon passed around explicit photos and videos of Grant like they were trading cards. And in a shocking twist, it claims McMahon offered her up as a "sexual commodity" to a star wrestler in 2021. Can you believe it?
McMahon, who stepped down amid a whirlwind of controversy in 2022, is gearing up for a legal Royal Rumble. His rep fired back, branding the lawsuit as a "vindictive distortion of the truth." Meanwhile, WWE's new parent company, TKO Group, is taking the allegations seriously, despite McMahon not being in the driver's seat.
It turns out that at the end of her employment and their sexual relationship, McMahon allegedly pressured Grant into signing a NDA in exchange for payments over several years totaling $3 million, according to the lawsuit. In a statement, WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, said McMahon does not control TKO. Led by McMahon, WWE and UFC, a mixed-martial arts entertainment competitor, announced in April 2023 that they would combine to form TKO.
"While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally," a TKO spokesperson said.
The relationship began on good terms
Was it all a misunderstanding? Grant initially believed she was building a professional relationship with McMahon, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that McMahon eventually pressured her into a physical relationship as he "dangled career-making and life-changing" promises in front of her. After receiving a job with WWE, McMahon allegedly subjected Grant to acts of "extreme cruelty and degradation" that caused Grant to "disassociate and/or become numb to reality in order to survive," according to the lawsuit.
"Ms. Grant was exploited during her time of employment with WWE and was subjected to countless depraved and humiliating acts, which has led to severe and permanent trauma," the lawsuit states.
One disturbing incident described in the lawsuit details an alleged sexual encounter between Grant, McMahon and a "friend" of McMahon’s in May 2020. During the encounter, McMahon allegedly defecated on Grant, commanding "her to continue pleasuring his ‘friend’ with feces in her hair," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also detailed an alleged sexual assault among Grant, McMahon and Laurinaitis that occurred at WWE’s headquarters in 2021. The two men allegedly pulled Grant behind a locked door, forcibly restraining her. As she begged them to stop, one of the men allegedly said to her, "No means yes."
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What is happening in Hollywood?
The wrestling world is reeling from these revelations. As mentioned, Grant is seeking to dropkick a $3 million nondisclosure agreement and is fighting for unspecified monetary damages. This is one storyline that's all too real and far from over.
Stay tuned as we grapple with the fallout from this bombshell lawsuit. Will McMahon tap out, or will he emerge victorious from this legal cage match? Only time will tell!
