John Laurinaitis, former WWE executive and co-defendant in the high-profile lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon, has agreed to cooperate with plaintiff Janel Grant and provide evidence in her case. The update was confirmed in a statement shared with NBC News on Wednesday. Laurinaitis has reached a confidential settlement with Grant. According to the statement, “John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE.”
His representatives called the agreement “a pivotal next step toward holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of $exual abuse and trafficking.”
They added, “Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time.”
With that being said, Laurinaitis has been dropped as a defendant in this lawsuit:
“Plaintiff Janel Grant hereby stipulates with Defendant John Laurinaitis that the above-entitled action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice, against Defendant John Laurinaitis.”
Vince McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Rosenberg, sent us the following statement regarding this situation:
“Today’s dismissal of John Laurinaitis as a defendant doesn’t alter the facts of this case in any way. Vince McMahon never mistreated Janel Grant. No matter how many press releases her team issues, the truth remains unchanged.
As Mr. Laurinaitis’s lawyer previously said: ‘Mr. Laurinaitis corroborates Mr. McMahon in publicly declaring that Ms. Grant’s allegations of $exual abuse and coercion in her Complaint are completely unfounded.’”
Vince McMahon Refuses To Hand Over Personal Texts — Calls Legal Battle “Harassment”
Vince McMahon is fighting to keep certain details out of court as he deals with a shareholder lawsuit related to the WWE-UFC merger that created TKO Group Holdings.
According to a newly unsealed court filing, McMahon’s lawyers are asking the Delaware Court of Chancery to block the plaintiffs from accessing more documents. The lawsuit claims McMahon manipulated the merger to benefit Endeavor and protect himself while facing $exual misconduct allegations.
McMahon has agreed to turn over emails and texts related to the merger and misconduct claims. This includes messages with WWE and TKO executives such as Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque, as well as former board members. He’s also handing over non-disclosure agreements and board meeting documents.
However, McMahon is refusing to share anything he calls “deeply personal and intimate.” His lawyers say private messages with women and family members are not relevant and describe the request for them as “harassment.”
The plaintiffs argue those communications could reveal McMahon’s true motives. They claim the merger was driven by a desire to stay in control and avoid fallout from the misconduct allegations. Some former board members who had voted against McMahon’s return were removed before the merger.
McMahon says expanding the case would turn it into a “mini-trial” about claims that were already dismissed in a previous lawsuit. The court has not yet ruled on his request.
Also Read: Vince McMahon Is Not Happy With What’s Going On In WWE
