Latest news with #Laurinaitis
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis nominated for prestigious honor
Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis nominated for prestigious honor Only a handful of elites in their craft can say they are a part of a Hall of Fame. That's what former Ohio State linebacker and current assistant coach James Laurinaitis is hoping for, and for good reason. The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame ballot was released this week, and Laurinaitis has his name appearing on it yet again. He's no stranger to having his name penciled in as a potential, this being his seventh consecutive year, but he has yet to make the cut. The numbers and accolades are definitely there. During his time at Ohio State from 2005 to 2008, he tallied over 115 tackles three straight years, had 13 sacks, and nine interceptions. He was so good in Columbus that he was a three-time First-team All-Big Ten performer, was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year twice, Jack Lambert recipient twice, was a unanimous All-American in 2007, three time consensus All-American, and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy, and Butkus Award during his career in college. Whew. There aren't many more accomplished linebackers in college football history, so it's a wonder why his name has not made it through the voting process yet. Maybe this is the year. If so, he'll have to be one of the players left standing between other candidates, Mark Ingram II, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, Aaron Donald, Kellen Moore, and another 73 players. Voting ends on July 1, so we should get some news on Laurinaitis' fate before the start of the college football season. We say it's high time the "Little Animal" becomes big-time in the College Football Hall of Fame. If he does get the nod, Laurinaitis will join 32 other Buckeyes, including three other linebackers.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
John Laurinaitis to provide evidence in Janel Grant's lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon after his dismissal as a defendant
(Image via X/@WrestleOps) Former WWE executive John Laurinaitis has officially been removed as a defendant in the sex trafficking lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant. The case, which was filed against WWE and its former Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. In a recent development, Laurinaitis has been dropped from the lawsuit, and as per reports, Laurinaitis has entered into a confidential settlement agreement and will now cooperate with Grant's legal team. Earlier, in January 2024, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit alleging Vince McMahon of sexual misconduct, including a coerced sexual relationship, sex trafficking, and repeated sexual assault. Apart from McMahon, Janel also sued former executive John Laurinaitis. John Laurinaitis removed from Janel Grant's lawsuit and agreed to cooperate with the legal team John Laurinatis has reportedly been removed from Janel Grant's lawsuit after he agreed to provide evidence and cooperate with Grant's legal team. In a statement issued to POST Wrestling , Grant's representatives confirmed Laurinaitis' involvement going forward with the settlement. They wrote, 'John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo 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.' They further stated that it was also confirmed by Laurinaitis 's attorney, Edward M. Brennan, and he has supported the statement. It has also been reported by POST Wrestling that the plaintiff of the case, Janel Grant, has agreed not to revisit her claims. 'Grant has agreed to it and has agreed not to revisit her claims against him. The dismissal of Laurinaitis was submitted by Grant's attorneys 'with prejudice,' meaning Grant has agreed not to revisit her claims against him,' POST wrestling shared. Though Laurinaitis has been removed in the new filing submitted on Wednesday, WWE and Vince McMahon remain defendants. Besides, the defendants are expected to file motions to move the case out of public court and into private arbitration by June 13. Regarding Laurinaitis, the 62-year-old was a brief on-screen authority figure on WWE who also held executive roles backstage. He also happened to be the Head of Talent Relations until 2022. However, it seems like the latter is no longer going to be involved with the case for long. Also Read : 'You should see the other guys': Chad Gable shows off his battle scar following his triple-threat match on WWE RAW With this development, it will now be interesting to witness where this case is taken further after Laurinaitis provides evidence as a part of the confidential settlement made by Grant's legal team. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Vince McMahon's co-defendant in sex trafficking lawsuit reaches secret deal to flip on former WWE boss
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.
NBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Vince McMahon sex trafficking case co-defendant John Laurinaitis agrees to help accuser
The co-defendant in the bombshell lawsuit accusing former WWE boss Vince McMahon of sexual abuse and sex trafficking has agreed to cooperate with and give evidence to the woman suing the pro wrestling mogul and WWE. 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.
