Former WWE employee delays lawsuit against Vince McMahon amid federal investigation

Former WWE employee Janel Grant has agreed to stay her lawsuit against WWE, former WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis “pending the completion of a non-public investigation” at the request of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Ann Callis, an attorney for Grant, emailed the following statement to Ariel Zilber of the New York Post:

“Ms. Grant has agreed to a motion by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to stay her case against Mr. McMahon, WWE and Mr. Laurinaitis pending an ongoing non-public investigation. We will cooperate with any appropriate next steps.”

Grant claims she was sexually abused and trafficked during her time with WWE.

Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney for McMahon, denied Grant’s allegations on behalf of her client, telling Chloe Melas of NBC News: “We remain convinced that the evidence will show that Ms. Grant’s allegations are false and that her complaint is nothing more than a fabricated, vindictive narrative from a disgruntled ex-girlfriend.”

Joe Palazzolo, Khadeeja Safdar and Ted Mann from the Wall Street Journal reported in February that federal authorities had contacted women about allegations of McMahon’s sexual misconduct “over the past few months.” That investigation reportedly began in 2022.

According to Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg, the stay of Grant’s proceedings is expected to last six months.