A former WWE employee who filed a lawsuit against the company and ex-leader Vince McMahon, accusing him of sexual battery and trafficking, is asking them to not enforce nondisclosure agreements with other former and current employees and contractors so they can potentially come forward with similar accusations.
A lawyer for Janel Grant emailed a letter making the request late Monday to attorneys representing WWE, McMahon and John Laurinaitis, a former WWE executive and wrestler, in Grant’s lawsuit against them.
A spokesperson for McMahon, Curtis Vogel, declined to comment. Lawyers for WWE and Laurinaitis did not immediately return emails seeking comment late Monday. Emails to the WWE and its parent companies, Endeavor Group Holdings and its subsidiary, TKO Group Holdings, also were not returned immediately.
McMahon, former CEO and chairman of WWE, has denied Grant’s allegations.
Grant, who worked in WWE’s legal and talent departments from 2019 to 2022, sued the company, McMahon and Laurinaitis in January, making graphic allegations of sexual assault, harassment, trafficking and other physical and emotional abuse.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations that match those in Grant’s lawsuit. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors TKO Group Holdings in January, a day after Grant filed her lawsuit.
“If WWE and its parent company Endeavor are serious about parting ways with Vince McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created, their executives should have no problem with releasing former WWE employees from their NDAs,” Ann Callis, Grant’s attorney, said in a statement. “This is the first step to rehabilitating a company that covered up decades of sexual assault and human trafficking.”
McMahon previously responded to Grant’s lawsuit with a statement calling it “replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.” His lawyers said in court documents that he had a consensual relationship with Grant and never mistreated her.
Laurinaitis’ lawyer has denied the allegations, and said Laurinaitis was also a victim in the case.
Grant says she was pressured into leaving her job with the WWE and signing a $3 million nondisclosure agreement. The lawsuit also seeks to have the agreement declared invalid, saying…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at ABC News: Business…