Janel Grant's team files motion to extend time for amended complaint in Vince McMahon suit

On Monday, Janel Grant’s team filed a motion for a status conference in Connecticut.  They are seeking a schedule from the court. The motion also asks for time to amend her lawsuit to include the SEC Consent Order. Last week, Vince McMahon was ordered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to pay a civil penalty of $400,000 along with reimbursing WWE $1.3 million.

The SEC said in a press release that they had “settled charges against Vince McMahon, the former Executive Chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., for signing two settlement agreements, one in 2019 and one in 2022, on behalf of himself and WWE without disclosing the agreements to WWE’s Board of Directors, legal department, accountants, financial reporting personnel, or auditor. Doing so circumvented WWE’s system of internal accounting controls and caused material misstatements in WWE’s 2018 and 2021 financial statements.” 

In 2022 while McMahon was under investigation by the WWE board, it was discovered that he paid $12 million in hush money to multiple women. This is in addition for a $3 million hush payment that triggered the WWE board investigation. It is belived that payment was related to Grant.

Grant had intended to amend her lawsuit by January 15, but with the decision by the SEC, she has requested “additional time for her counsel to assess these developments and incorporate these new (and still-developing) facts into her Amended Complaint.” This motion also confirms that Grant is one of the non-disclosure agreements (NDA) that McMahon was fined for not reporting properly. 

In a statement to B.J. Bethel of SEScoops, Grant’s attorney Ann Callis said “In light of the SEC’s charges proving the NDA Vince McMahon coerced Ms. Grant into signing violates the law, Ms. Grant has renewed her request for an updated scheduling conference to ensure these new developments are reflected in her complaint and establish a clear schedule to move her case forward. Ms. Grant deserves the opportunity to have her day in court and hold her abusers accountable.” 

Vince McMahon’s files motion of opposition

McMahon's attorneys filed a motion of opposition to ask the court to deny Grant's request for a status conference. They want to move to an arbritration hearing, something McMahon and Laurinaitis have been trying to make happen since the initial lawsuit was filed.

McMahon’s lawyer, Jessica Rosenberg released a statement. “The recent federal investigation resulted in no criminal indictments from the SDNY, while the SEC settlement relates to a minor accounting issue at WWE that have nothing to do with this case. Any claims to the contrary made by Janel Grant’s team are just another desperate PR stunt.” 

A representative for Grant, Kendra Barkoff-Lamy posted in response to Rosenberg’s statement that “Vince McMahon is trying to prevent Janel Grant from having her day in court because he doesn’t want the public to see the horrifying evidence of his repeated sexual abuse and trafficking.” 

McMahon is currently named alongside Linda McMahon, WWE and TKO Holdings in a lawsuit by five former “Ring Boys”. They allege that the McMahons were aware of the sexual abuse they endured as minors by the late Mel Phillips, a former WWF ring announcer. The case is currently being stayed.