Vince McMahon's co-defendant in sex trafficking lawsuit reaches secret deal to flip on former WWE boss

New York Post

6 days ago

A former WWE executive accused of sex trafficking in a bombshell lawsuit involving Vince McMahon reached a confidential settlement — and will now snitch on the pro wrestling mogul, according to lawyers in the bombshell case.
John Laurinaitis, WWE's former head of talent relations, was a co-defendant in a lawsuit filed by ex-WWE employee Janel Grant that alleges he and McMahon subjected her to years of sexual abuse and coercion.
The stunning about-face was revealed Wednesday in a joint statement issued by representatives for Laurinaitis and Grant.
3 John Laurinaitis, WWE's former head of talent relations, has reached a settlement with a former WWE employee who accused him and Vince McMahon of misconduct.
WWE
'John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE,' the statement said.
'His agreement to a confidential settlement is a pivotal next step toward holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking.'
'Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life,' the statement added.
Grant's civil lawsuit, filed in January 2024 in federal court in Connecticut, contains graphic allegations against both McMahon and Laurinaitis, accusing them of grooming, coercing, and sexually abusing her during her time as a paralegal at WWE.
The complaint claims McMahon forced Grant to perform sex acts 'on demand,' to send him nude photographs daily, and to engage in non-consensual sexual encounters — some allegedly orchestrated to benefit WWE business negotiations.
Grant also alleges she was 'passed' to Laurinaitis and that he engaged in similar abuse.
3 Vince McMahon has been accused of sex trafficking by a former employee of the WWE.
Netflix
The agreement with Laurinaitis voluntarily dismisses her claims against him 'with prejudice' — meaning the claims cannot be refiled — and likely signals that a confidential settlement was reached, according to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani.
'[This is] potentially bad news for McMahon,' the legal analyst told The Post.
'What you want to do in any type of case is cooperate your less culpable defendant against your main target. You want people to testify against your main defendant — whether it's Sean 'Diddy' Combs or, in this case, Vince McMahon.'
However, Rahmani noted that it remains unclear what Laurinaitis knows or is prepared to share.
'It's really tough to know until a case proceeds to trial or there's some filing that references cooperation in the statement,' he said.
McMahon — who built the WWE into a multi-billion dollar business — stepped down from overseeing day-to-day operations shortly after the lawsuit was filed, but remains executive chairman of its parent company, TKO Group Holdings.
3 Janel Grant filed suit against McMahon and the WWE.
The Post reached out to McMahon, WWE and TKO for comment.
McMahon has previously denied all allegations, with a spokesperson calling the suit 'replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth.'
TKO had said the allegations predate its current executive leadership and that it is reviewing the matter internally.
In the lawsuit, Grant also challenges the validity of a nondisclosure agreement she signed in 2022, under which McMahon agreed to pay her $1 million upfront and $500,000 annually through 2026.
She claims McMahon ceased payments and argues the NDA is unenforceable under the federal Speak Out Act.
The civil case poses a serious threat to McMahon's legacy and financial empire, as WWE continues to finalize billion-dollar media deals and expands its global reach under TKO.