WWE’s Expected Next Move In Vince McMahon Lawsuit Revealed

WWE could be set to follow in Vince McMahon’s footsteps in signalling their next steps in the lawsuit brought by Janel Grant.

On April 23rd, Vince McMahon filed a “motion to compel arbitration of Plaintiff Janel Grant’s Complaint,” in response to the lawsuit brought by Grant against himself, John Laurinaitis, and WWE back in January. The bombshell lawsuit contained allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault.

Despite having claimed he was also a victim, days later John Laurinaitis made the surprising move of joining Vince McMahon in filing his own motion to compel arbitration. Lauranaitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, said in a statement that his client “will fight these false allegations together with Mr. McMahon in the proper forum, arbitration.”

Now, WWE has signalled in a court document that it will join the two men, saying it “anticipates filing a motion to compel arbitration and stay this action pending arbitration.”

The text from the document can be found below:

“WHEREAS, on January 25, 2024, Plaintiff Janel Grant filed a Complaint against Defendants World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (“WWE”), Vincent K. McMahon (“McMahon”), and John Laurinaitis (“Laurinaitis”), initiating the above-captioned action in this Court;

WHEREAS, on March 15, 2024, Plaintiff provided waiver of service of summons forms to all Defendants, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d), requesting that the forms be signed and returned to Plaintiff within 30 days;

WHEREAS, all Defendants timely returned the waiver of service forms to Plaintiff;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 4(d)(3) and 12(a)(1)(A)(ii), Defendants’ deadline to serve answer or other responsive pleadings to the Complaint is 60 days after Plaintiff requested waiver of service from Defendants, or May 14, 2024;
WHEREAS, on April 23, 2024, McMahon filed a motion for an order compelling arbitration and staying this action pending arbitration;
WHEREAS, on May 2, 2024, Laurinaitis filed a motion to compel arbitration and adoption of and joinder in McMahon’s motion to compel arbitration;
WHEREAS, WWE also anticipates filing a motion to compel arbitration and stay this action pending arbitration;
WHEREAS, the parties have met and conferred with regard to a schedule governing briefing on Defendants’ motions to compel arbitration and suspending the current deadlines to answer, move or otherwise respond to the Compliant while the motions to compel arbitration are pending;
IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by the parties hereto, through their undersigned counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that:

1. Defendants’ motions to compel arbitration and memoranda of law in support of their motions shall be filed by May 14, 2024;
2. Plaintiff’s opposition or oppositions to Defendants’ motions to compel arbitration shall be filed by June 4, 2024;
3. Defendants’ reply memoranda in support of their motions to compel arbitration shall be filed by June 18, 2024;
4. Any applicable deadline(s), pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(a), for Defendants to serve answers to the Complaint or other responsive pleadings, including any motions pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b), shall be suspended pending the Court’s adjudication of Defendants’ motions to compel arbitration;
5. In the event that the Court denies, in whole or in part, one or more of Defendants’ motions to compel arbitration, the Defendant(s) whose motion(s) have been denied shall serve answers or responsive pleadings, including any motions pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b), within 30 days after the Court denies the motion(s) to compel.”

Janel Grant’s Lawyer Blasts Vince McMahon For “Inflammatory Lies”

In his motion to compel arbitration, Vince McMahon and his team claimed Janel Grant’s complaint was “salacious, false, and defamatory,” before referencing her “outrageous claims of sexual abuse.” The filing claims the allegations are “pure fiction.”

In return, Janel Grant’s lawyers have filed a motion to strike “inflammatory lies” made in Vince McMahon’s statement, saying he used it as a platform to “launch vicious falsehoods attacking Janel’s moral character in a transparent attempt to harass and intimidate her into submission.”