Vince McMahon. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Vince McMahon alleged that the woman accusing him of sex trafficking and sexual harassment willingly visited his home during their affair.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, April 23, McMahon, 78, denied the allegations made against him by Janel Grant and claimed they were in a “consensual relationship.” The former wrestling tycoon claimed Grant, 43, wrote him a love letter calling him “[my] best friend, my love and my everything,” and praised him for being a “wonderful, tender, vulnerable, heart-on-your-sleeve soul.”
McMahon also alleged in the filing that Grant cheated on her fiancé with him. The businessman claimed that he lived in the same building as Grant and her partner and she would visit his “condominium at all hours” before returning to her place later.
According to the docs, McMahon and Grant ended their affair in January 2022. Grant, who also worked with McMahon at WWE left her job there at the same time. McMahon’s filing claimed that Grant filed her lawsuit against him after he did not pay her $3 million to keep their relationship a secret.
Vince McMahon was the CEO and Chairman of the Board at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for decades before “voluntarily” stepping down. McMahon, who was a former pro wrestler before taking over the WWE business, confirmed in June 2022 that he was resigning from his post while the company investigated misconduct claims against him. “I have […]
Grant named McMahon when she filed her lawsuit in January. She claimed she was a victim of “physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking” during her employment, per docs obtained by Us at the time.
According to Grant, McMahon “pushed” her to engage in a physical relationship in exchange for a job at WWE. She feared the potential “negative consequences” if she turned him down and thus “[succumbed] to the pressure.”
While Grant was employed by WWE, McMahon allegedly shared sexually explicit photographs of her with other men within the company. She claimed that she was coerced into having sex with other staffers at the organization’s headquarters during work hours.
After news broke about the lawsuit, McMahon vehemently denied the sexual assault, trafficking and abuse allegations Grant made against him.
A family affair. For the WWE’s legendary McMahons, professional wrestling is in their blood. The history of World Wrestling Entertainment is so vast that the corporation itself divides it into six different eras. Ultimately, the spectacle all began when wrestling and boxing promoter Jess McMahon (who was born in 1882 and died in 1954) and […]
“This lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth. He will vigorously defend himself,” a spokesperson for McMahon said in a statement to Us.
In 2022, McMahon stepped down as WWE CEO and Chairman of the Board while he was being investigated for sexual misconduct allegations. (He has yet to be charged with a crime.)
“I have pledged my complete cooperation to the investigation by the Special Committee, and I will do everything possible to support the investigation,” he said in a statement released by WWE. “I have also pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are.”
