A lawsuit against WWE, John Laurinaitis, and Vince McMahon has been put on pause at the request of the United States Department of Justice.
Janel Grant is suing the three parties over allegations she was sexually abused and trafficked during her time working for WWE. Grant had been a part of the company’s legal department and worked closely with McMahon during her time under his employ.
Janel Grant Lawsuit Delayed
While Grant’s allegations were enough to see Vince McMahon step down from WWE and TKO in January, it will be longer than planned before the two sides face off in court. Grant has agreed to delay the lawsuit at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice. A statement from Grant’s legal representative Ann Callis reads:
“Ms. Grant has consented to a request by the U.S. 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.”
Callis does not give the reason why the U.S. Department of Justice has made this request. In a sealed filing today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District Of New York presented material to the federal court of a probe they have opened into McMahon. The 78-year-old billionaire’s business operations will be under the microscope as part of this probe.
Team McMahon Responds
McMahon is being represented in proceedings by Kasowitz Benson Torres. Ironically, the firm recently settled a lawsuit against WWE that saw Major League Wrestling receive $20 million. A statement from Jessica Rosenberg, a partner of Kasowitz, Benson Torres, reads:
“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.”
McMahon has denied all allegations against him and has claimed that Grant’s lawsuit is “rife” with fabrication and inaccuracies. Rosenberg has stated that Grant was in love with McMahon and that her “false allegations are slowly unraveling.”