Janel Grant says WWE representatives asked her to issue a joint public statement declaring her relationship with Vince McMahon consensual, an allegation she detailed during a 16-minute address at the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Fightful reports.
Grant filed a federal lawsuit in January 2024 against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis, accusing McMahon of sexual assault and sex trafficking. McMahon resigned from TKO and WWE after the lawsuit became public. Laurinaitis has since been dropped from the case.
Speaking Thursday, Grant described the moment she says the company approached her about making a unified statement. “The company reached out and requested that I make a joint statement that this was a consensual relationship and that they wanted to know this to the extent that I needed or wanted something, aka more money on the table. I refused,” she said.
She added that a company spokesperson later described the relationship as consensual, which she called a surprise. “Leaving out one half of an experiencing party on a decision like that is not consent.”
Grant Details NDA, Investigations, and Federal Involvement
Grant recounted how her situation became public in June 2022, when she learned that The Wall Street Journal planned to publish a story involving her, McMahon, and a non-disclosure agreement. She said she received instructions not to comment or acknowledge questions about the matter.
She told the audience she blacked out that day and later found herself in a closet before someone intervened. “Workplace safety depends on transparency,” Grant said, arguing that NDAs can conceal patterns of behavior and shift harm to others.
Grant referenced what she described as five intersections tied to the NDA: a Department of Justice criminal investigation, an SEC investigation, a shareholder lawsuit, a Second Circuit decision, and her own civil case. She said federal authorities later contacted her and requested silence while they conducted a covert investigation.
In March 2023, she said she received a subpoena and whistleblower status from the SEC. Days later, WWE and Endeavor announced their merger, led by Ari Emanuel. Grant stated that additional letters, warrants, and subpoenas followed.
She also addressed WWE’s internal investigation, saying she spent six figures on legal retainers and medical care to participate before federal authorities stepped in. “If anyone postures like this isn’t serious, they spent serious money on it,” she said.
Grant closed by saying, “Leadership perhaps means stepping into the unknown, listening, and discussing things, even when they’re hard,” she said.
