A former WWE employee claimed Vince McMahon sexually abused her — including with sex toys that he named after wrestling stars – in a shocking new lawsuit.
Janel Grant broke her silence about their relationship with disturbing allegations including charges that the wrestling magnate defecated on her head during a threesome in May 2020 and sex trafficked her to other WWE executives, according to the complaint filed in Connecticut federal court on Thursday (all times US).
Grant alleged in the complaint that McMahon sent her a text message in May 2020 which read: “I’m the only one who owns U and controls who I want to f — U.”
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Her lawsuit comes after the Wall Street Journal reported last year that the WWE was investigating an alleged $3 million payment from McMahon to a departing female employee following a consensual affair.
Grant, who was unnamed at the time, claims she received an initial instalment of $1 million but no further payments afterwards, in the new lawsuit.
A subsequent investigation found that McMahon paid $14.6 million to several women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
According to the lawsuit, McMahon’s use of sex toys on Grant caused her injuries such as bruising and bleeding, the Journal reported on Thursday.
McMahon is also alleged to have shared nude photos and explicit videos of Grant without her consent with other WWE employees, according to the lawsuit.
He once locked her inside his private locker room at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Conn., and forced himself on her over a massage table, the complaint said.
The WWE boss is also alleged to have directed Grant to have sex with other executives and a wrestling star, the lawsuit claims.
John Laurinaitis, WWE’s former head of talent relations who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, was allegedly recruited by McMahon to have sex with Grant.
Grant was told by McMahon to visit Laurinaitis in his hotel rooms where she had sex with him before workdays, it was alleged in the lawsuit.
In one encounter at WWE offices in June 2021, McMahon and Laurinaitis forced themselves on her and took turns restraining her for the other, it was alleged in the lawsuit.
“No means yes” and “Take it, b — h” were among the things McMahon and Laurinaitis said to Grant during the alleged assault, according to the lawsuit.
In July 2021, McMahon told Grant to create sexualised content on her phone and send it to Brock Lesnar, a former UFC star whom the WWE was trying to sign at the time.
Last July, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant and served a federal grand jury subpoena to McMahon, according to a regulatory filing.
WWE said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that while government investigations into McMahon remain ongoing, no charges have been brought in them.
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The company said it has received voluntary and compulsory legal demands for documents, including from federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, concerning the investigation and related subject matters.
“In 2022, WWE formed a special committee to review allegations of misconduct against me,” McMahon said in a statement.
“That review was concluded in November 2022 following an extensive investigation.”
McMahon said that “throughout this experience, I have always denied any intentional wrongdoing and continue to do so.”
“I am confident that the government’s investigation will be resolved without any findings of wrongdoing.”
Last year, Endeavour, the talent agency run by Ari Emanuel, completed a $21.4 billion merger with WWE.
TKO Group, the merged entity which combines WWE and UFC, said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that WWE’s weekly television show “Raw” will move to Netflix next year as part of a major streaming deal with more than $5 billion.
McMahon is also alleged to have shared nude photos and explicit videos of Grant without her consent with other WWE employees, according to the lawsuit.
The WWE boss is also alleged to have directed Grant to have sex with other executives, the lawsuit claims.
-This story was originally published in The New York Post and reproduced with permission.
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