John Laurinaitis’ Lawyer: Former WWE Exec Was Victim of Vince McMahon amid Lawsuit

Doric SamFebruary 1, 2024

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

(Warning: The following contains graphic descriptions that may be disturbing.)

John Laurinaitis, a co-defendant in the sex-trafficking lawsuit brought against Vince McMahon and WWE last week, is alleging that he is also a victim of the former WWE chairman.

Per Tim Marchman of Vice News, Laurinaitis’ lawyer Edward Brennan “appeared to corroborate” the central claims in the suit by plaintiff and former WWE employee Janel Grant while painting his client as someone who also suffered at the hands of McMahon.

“Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in Court, not the media. Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out,” Brennan said.

When asked for further clarification as to how Laurinaitis was also a victim, Brennan responded: “Read the allegations. Read the Federal Statute. Power, control, employment supervisory capacity, dictatorial sexual demands with repercussions if not met. Count how many times in the complaint Vince exerts control over both of them.”

In the lawsuit, McMahon is accused of instructing Grant to create “explicit content” for Laurinaitis, who is a former WWE head of talent relations. Grant was later transferred to the talent relations department and the suit says the move came “with the expectation, from both McMahon and Laurinaitis, that she engage with Laurinaitis sexually, both physically and with explicit content.”

The suit further alleges that Grant was sexually assaulted by McMahon and Laurinaitis in June 2021 “inside Laurinaitis’ office in WWE headquarters while colleagues were busy at their desks.” The two of them allegedly “cornered her” and took turns restraining her while they forced themselves on her and ignored her pleas to stop, the suit said.

Khadeeja Safdar of the Wall Street Journal explained that Grant signed a nondisclosure agreement in 2022 to remain silent about her allegations and her relationship with McMahon in exchange for $3 million. Grant is seeking to void the agreement and is suing for unspecified damages after payments allegedly stopped after she received the first $1 million.

McMahon resigned as chair of TKO, WWE’s parent company, in the wake of the allegations. He denied the allegations by Grant and said the lawsuit is “replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth.”