Nick Khan & WWE COO Revealed To Be Key Figures In Janel Grant's Lawsuit Against Vince McMahon

WWE President Nick Khan and WWE COO Brad Blum have been revealed to be key figures in the sex trafficking lawsuit filed by Janel Grant. The former WWE employee accused Vince McMahon of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and physical and emotional abuse in a lawsuit that also accused former WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis of sexual assault. WWE was also named as a defendant for allegedly attempting to cover up the allegations against McMahon.

In a report from Tim Marchman, John Pollock, and Brandon Thurston for Front Office Sports, WWE President Nick Khan and WWE COO Brad Blum have been identified as corporate officers no. 1 and no. 2 within Janel Grant's lawsuit. The lawsuit has claimed that Khan and Blum were instrumental in a scheme which saw Grant be employed by WWE "in a completely undefined role, except for the understanding that she remain a sexual slave to be used and trafficked by McMahon within the WWE." Khan and Blum are accused of facilitating and covering up exploitation that makes WWE liable under anti-trafficking laws in the United States. Khan and Blum were not named in the lawsuit but Ann Callis, Janel Grant's lawyer, has confirmed the accuracy of Khan and Blum being identified as corporate officer no. 1 and no. 2. 

The lawsuit claims that Blum and Khan were presented as McMahon's key fixers by the then-WWE CEO. Within the lawsuit, it states that McMahon held a meeting with Khan and Blum and informed them about the nature of his relationship with Janel Grant and both Blum and Khan voiced their concerns, allegedly inquiring about if Grant "could be trusted." A WWE spokesperson has denied this conversation took place. Both were allegedly later supportive of the relationship. 

During negotiations over the nondisclosure agreement between Vince McMahon and Janel Grant, the lawsuit alleges that Grant included Khan and Blum in a list of people whose roles should be addressed in the agreement because of their "knowledge of the relationship." The suggestion was rejected. After the NDA had been signed without WWE's knowledge, McMahon claimed Grant could contact Blum if she ever needed anything. McMahon has only paid $1 million of the agreed-upon $3 million as of the time of writing. 

According to Front Office Sports, corporate officer no. 3 in the lawsuit is Stephanie McMahon. The suit states that Stephanie motioned Janel Grant to sit near her at meetings of WWE's executive committee and that McMahon knew "of other instances of [Vince] McMahon engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct."

Corporate officer no. 4 in the lawsuit, according to Front Office Sports, is former general counsel and head of WWE's legal department Brian Nurse. The lawsuit does not explicitly claim that Khan, Blum, Stephanie McMahon, or Brian Nurse knew about any of the acts of sexual violence allegedly committed by Vince McMahon. 

A WWE spokesperson has said: "WWE takes Ms. Grant's allegations very seriously and has no tolerance for any physical abuse or unwanted physical contact. Neither Nick Khan nor Brad Blum, prior to the lawsuit being filed on January 25, 2024, were aware of any allegation by Ms. Grant that she was the victim of abuse or unwanted physical contact; nor does the complaint allege that either had knowledge of such."

Vince McMahon resigned in January 2024 as TKO Executive Chairman following the filing of Janel Grant's lawsuit. McMahon's resignation came after sponsors began to pull their support from the Royal Rumble, with TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO President Mark Shapiro telling McMahon he should resign. 

McMahon has since sold a portion of his TKO shares but he still owns approximately eight percent of the company.