Janel Grant Pauses Lawsuit Against Vince McMahon, WWE & John Laurinaitis Following DOJ Request

Janel Grant has agreed to pause her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis following a request from the United States Department of Justice while the federal government carries out its own investigation. This comes after Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Sarah Mortazavi filed a notice of appearance in the Grant vs. WWE, Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis case earlier today. 

Janel Grant's attorney, Ann Callis, issued the following statement on Thursday: "Ms. Grant has consented to a request by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to stay her case against Mr. McMahon, WWE and Mr. Laurinaitis, pursuant to a pending non-public investigation. We will cooperate with all appropriate next steps."

A person close to the case told Bloomberg that the case has been paused for six months. David Bixenspan, a journalist who has previously covered the ring boy scandal and other legal situations in pro wrestling, speculated the Department of Justice may have requested a stay in Janel Grant's lawsuit as they could be close to an indictment against Vince McMahon.

"Basically, what this means is that the US Attorney's office filed a mostly secret motion to press pause in the Janel Grant lawsuit and Grant agreed, which can pretty much only be because they're close to an indictment in their own sex trafficking investigation against McMahon," Bixenspan tweeted through his Babyface v. Heel newsletter account.

Vince McMahon's attorney, Jessica Taub Rosenberg of Kasowitz Benson Torres, issued the following statement to Wrestlenomics: "We remain confident the evidence will prove Ms. Grant's allegations are false and her complaint is nothing more than a fabricated, vindictive narrative from a disgruntled former girlfriend."

It emerged back in February that federal prosecutors in New York were conducting a criminal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and sex trafficking against McMahon stretching back to 1986. 

Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis in January 2024. Vince McMahon has been accused of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and physical and emotional abuse, while WWE have been accused of attempting to sweep the allegations against McMahon "under the rug." John Laurinaitis is accused of sexual assault. 

Grant also stated in the lawsuit that the nondisclosure agreement she signed was unenforceable, listing the Speak Out Act and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.

Vince McMahon resigned as TKO Executive Chairman upon the request of TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO President Mark Shapiro shortly after Janel Grant filed her lawsuit. Sponsors began to pull their support from WWE following the filing of Grant's lawsuit which influenced the decision to request McMahon's resignation.

All three defendants have filed motions to compel arbitration. John Laurinaitis initially claimed through his attorney that he was a victim of Vince McMahon's before he performed a U-turn and sided with McMahon's motion to compel arbitration.