WWE co-founder Vince McMahon has been accused of raping and trafficking a former employee in a disturbing lawsuit filed on Thursday.
In graphic court documents filed to the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, plaintiff Janel Grant describes “psychological torture and physical violence” she was subjected to by McMahon, who first pressured her into a sexual relationship with the promise of professional opportunities after meeting her in March 2019.
The suit claims McMahon would later direct Grant to have sex with WWE wrestlers and other men and that he would intimidate her with threats of revenge porn and make “depraved sexual demands” in exchange for her continued employment.
Grant, who worked for WWE from June 2019 through March 2022, says that she was fired after McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, discovered the relationship and that she was subsequently pressured to sign a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for $3 million.
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A spokesperson for McMahon categorically denied the accusations in a statement to HuffPost.
“This lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth,” the statement said. “He will vigorously defend himself.”
Among the unsettling details in Grant’s lawsuit is an account of McMahon defecating on Grant during a threesome in May 2020.
Court documents also claim McMahon and WWE Talent Relations boss John Laurinaitis took turns violently raping her in Laurinaitis’ office at WWE headquarters in June 2021 and that McMahon directed Grant to engage in sex with him and other WWE employees during working hours.
Laurinaitis is listed as a defendant in the suit, along with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which the suit claims “actively sought to conceal the…
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