Vince McMahon Lawsuit Update: Judge Accepts Amended Version Of Janel Grant's Complaint

Connecticut Judge Sarah F. Russell has accepted Janel Grant's amended complaint in her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. 

Grant initially filed the lawsuit in January 2024, alleging that during her time working for the company she was sexually assaulted and trafficked by McMahon and Laurinaitis, with WWE as a company accused of fostering an environment for such behavior to occur. In January, Grant filed an amended version of her complaint, prompting the defendants to petition the amended complaint to be rejected by the court. It was argued that Grant's amended complaint was done in bad faith, bringing undue public prejudice to the defendants by taking advantage of the civil docket system.

However, Russell rejected those arguments and found Grant to have met the threshold to revise her complaint. Russell's decision does not reflect any evaluation of the material fact of Grant's allegations, nor does it address the defendants' request to move to arbitration. 

"I am not convinced the amendments are offered in bad faith," Russell noted in the order. "It is certainly clear that some of Grant's proposed amendments include facts she knew or should have known when she filed the [initial] Complaint. But her newly pleaded facts do not deprive Defendants of their ability to timely assert that her claims are subject to arbitration. I accordingly decline to find her amendments are in bad faith." 

The defendants have consistently pushed for the case to be moved into arbitration, owing to a clause in the original non-disclosure agreement Grant signed with McMahon in January 2022. Grant's attorneys argue that the clause and the agreement became legally void due to McMahon's failure to uphold his duties to said agreement. Russell also ruled to stay the discovery process, effectively siding with the defendants' arguments that it would be premature to begin that process.

The defendants are expected to file another motion to compel arbitration by June 13, after which Grant is expected to file a response in opposition by July 11, and she can also file for motion-related discovery by June 23. Defendants can then file an opposition to discovery by June 30, and an optional response to any opposition to arbitration by August 1.

"We're grateful that Judge Sarah Russell let the facts prevail today and granted our motion to amend Janel Grant's complaint against Vince McMahon and WWE," Grant's representatives told Wrestling Inc. when asked for comment. "The amended complaint is essential to understanding the extent of McMahon's abuse and trafficking of Ms. Grant and the degree to which WWE failed her. We look forward to moving forward with Ms. Grant's amended complaint and taking another step toward bringing the truth to light and ensuring Ms. Grant's allegations against McMahon and WWE are taken seriously."

Representatives for the defendant parties have yet to respond when asked for comment.