Vince McMahon sex trafficking case co-defendant John Laurinaitis agrees to help accuser
The co-defendant, John Laurinaitis, also reached a confidential settlement with McMahon's accuser, Janel Grant, according to a statement issued by their representatives on Wednesday. Laurinaitis is a former wrestler and ex-WWE executive.
A filing Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Connecticut shows that lawyers for Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss her lawsuit against as it applies to him with prejudice, which means that it cannot be refiled.
'John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE,' the reps said in the statement obtained by NBC News.
'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,' the reps said.
'Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time.'
CNBC has requested comment from attorneys for McMahon and WWE.
Grant's settlement with Laurinaitis comes three weeks after she filed an amended civil complaint against him, McMahon, and WWE.
McMahon resigned as the executive chairman of the board of TKO Group Holdings — WWE's parent company — in January 2024 after Grant filed her lawsuit.
In January 2025, McMahon agreed to settle administrative charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging he violated federal securities laws by failing to inform WWE's board of directors that he had signed non-disclosure agreements with two women whom he promised to pay $10.5 million to keep quiet about his sexual conduct. McMahon agreed to pay a $400,000 civil penalty in that case, and reimburse the WWE $1.3 million after consenting to an order finding he violated a securities law.
McMahon's wife, former WWE executive Linda McMahon, is currently serving as secretary of the U.S. Education Department under the couple's friend, President Donald Trump.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Serena Williams to promote weight-loss drugs with telehealth firm Ro
Aug 21 (Reuters) - Telehealth company Ro has tapped tennis star Serena Williams as a celebrity patient ambassador for its weight-loss treatments, the company said Thursday. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, will headline a multi-year national marketing campaign for GLP-1 drugs, a company spokesperson said. "I don't take shortcuts," Williams said in an NBC News interview, adding that her efforts to lose weight before turning to GLP-1 treatments included professional tennis training. "I was doing everything right ... but my body wasn't responding the way it used to," she said. Williams said in an advertisement that after struggling to lose post-baby weight, the treatments helped her lose 31 pounds (14 kg) - her first time speaking out about using them, Ro said. "Serena knows people may be surprised to learn that she would use a GLP-1, and that's exactly why we think she is the perfect person to share her story," said a Ro spokesperson. Ro said Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of social media site Reddit, is an investor in the company and serves on its board. GLP-1 drugs promote weight loss by reducing appetite and causing the stomach to empty more slowly. Novo Nordisk's ( opens new tab Wegovy and Eli Lilly's (LLY.N), opens new tab Zepbound have been shown to reduce weight by around 20%. Ro, which sells both drugs through its weight-loss program, said Williams was on a branded GLP-1 but declined to say which one. Paul Cerro, a former Ro strategy analyst and founder of Cedar Grove Capital Management, said the deal will boost Ro's visibility and credibility in a crowded weight-loss drug market as companies push deeper into women's health. "Well known people are willing to put their name with a company that they believe is doing the right thing in the right way," said Cerro. Ro offers cash-pay access to Zepbound and Wegovy through Novo and Lilly's direct pharmacies, although eligible patients can use insurance. It sells compounded Wegovy in varying doses for patients whose clinicians deem it medically necessary.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Scottish Premiership star ordered to return to Scotland and attend court over claims of domestic abuse
His trial began in May before being delayed IN THE DOCK Ex-Scottish Premiership star ordered to return to Scotland and attend court over claims of domestic abuse Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FOOTBALLER Kevin van Veen has been ordered to return to Scotland and attend court over claims of domestic abuse. The Dutch striker, 34, is alleged to have carried out a catalogue of incidents against his former partner at addresses in Cancun, Mexico, Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, and Renfrewshire. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Silhouette of soccer player standing in stadium with a ball Credit: Getty 2 Kevin van Veen has played for several Scottish clubs Credit: Willie Vass He denies any wrongdoing and a trial began at Hamilton Sheriff Court in May before being delayed. The case called last month where it emerged van Veen was set to be seen by psychiatrists. Today, the court heard he had been assessed but that a final report had not been provided to his legal team. Van Veen, who recently signed for Dutch club FC Eindhoven, was not in the dock for the brief hearing and is understood to be back in the Netherlands. He played in Scotland for Motherwell, Kilmarnock and St Mirren, with the latter ripping up his contract when the allegations first came to light. Sheriff Shirley McKenna said he should be present when the case calls next week. Andy Thomson, defending, said: "We were waiting on a psychiatric report and he has been seen. "It is suggested that this case be continued until next week where we will furnish the court and the Crown with the report and can decide the course of action." Sheriff McKenna said: "He needs to be here. "He has not been here the last couple of times, I understand he is not in the country but he needs to be here if there is to be resolution unless there is going to be an examination of facts." Depute fiscal Scott O'Connor said he had 'no difficulties' with the case being continued. A trial had earlier heard Van Veen's ex-girlfriend, 33, allege he twisted her wrist at his home in Uddingston, Lanarkshire. She further alleged a holiday in Mexico was 'two weeks of mental torture' because of him 'shouting and screaming' in her face as well as being accused of being a 'slag and a slut' over a dress he deemed too tight. And she claimed that he kept tabs on her Instagram account in case she had liked photos of other men. He faces one charge under domestic abuse laws which alleges incidents between September 2021 and July last year. Prosecutors allege he repeatedly prevented her from sleeping and turned up at the homes of her family members and refused to leave when asked. The footballer is said to have repeatedly demanded that she attend at his property and persistently called and texted her and her family members. He is also accused of locking her inside his home. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Lucy Connolly is no martyr, she's a racist. It's the truth that's being twisted
Lucy Connolly's post wasn't just a tweet and wasn't a one off - the ex-Tory councillor's wife was exposed for sending more vile messages and posts before her hateful Southport statement First, the facts. Lucy Connolly pleaded guilty in court to writing a social media post intending to stir up racial hatred. She'd called for 'mass deportation now' in a social media post to her 10,000 followers on X on the day three children were killed in a knife attack in Southport. In the expletive-ridden message she said: 'set fire to all the f*****g hotels full of the b***** for all I care' concluding: 'if that makes me racist so be it'. The post was later deleted but police established it had been available for at least three and a half hours. So, in short, the wife of a Conservative councillor called for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire. Judge Melbourne Inman KC said Connolly had been 'well aware of how volatile the situation was' at the time of the Southport attack, volatility that led to serious disorder in a number of areas. Your message was widely read – it was viewed 310,000 times with 940 reposts, 58 quotes and 113 bookmarks,' he said. It wasn't just a tweet. She'd broken the law. She accepted as much, which was why she pleaded guilty. It wasn't just a tweet. Connolly had had form for xenophobic, anti-Black and anti-migrant rhetoric on social media which a glance at her timeline would show up. It clearly wasn't a one off. In fact, the court was told that the day before she was arrested, Connolly had sent a WhatsApp message saying the 'raging tweet about burning down hotels has bit me on the arse lol'. She also said she'd 'play the mental health card' if arrested, and would deny responsibility for the post if asked. The full picture tells a different story to the one that the liars, racists and xenophobes would have you believe. And if Connolly truly believed in her innocence she would not have sought what she believed to be a lesser sentence. Nor does this have anything whatsoever to do with censorship. If Connolly wanted to write the same things again she'd be free to do so. Twitter would allow her post to remain, but the law of the land would find her guilty and she would likely go back to prison for a lot longer. Because contrary to what the thugs and bigots masquerading as people who simply care about their families won't tell you is that free speech does exist. You are free to say whatever you like. But you will also be free to accept the consequences. Free speech doesn't spare you from the consequences of shouting 'Fire' in a packed cinema when there isn't one, sparking panic and most likely serious injury. The likes of Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and the rest of Reform UK, with risible Tory leader Kemi Badenoch chasing the bandwagon, are throwing out any number of incendiary perspectives on this incident to whip up anger and division. Which is why it was so important for the Daily Mirror to take a stand on Thursday. The country is a tinderbox with a significant number of people in public life who should know better encouraging vigilante mobs, stoking fear and loathing and telling straight up lies. Now that she is out, the liars will use Connolly as a martyr. And the engagement-chasing sections of the media, happy to whip up division will indulge them. The liars will paint Connolly as a demure, childminder mum put through hell for a simple tweet. They won't mention her other tweets, among them one referring to Somalis with vomiting emojis, the one reacting to an anti-racism protest by suggesting those taking a stand should house: 'an illegal boat invader'. They won't let the truth get in the way of a carefully stage-managed bid to rehabilitate a woman whose prejudice is well documented. But we will.
