Ann Callis — lawyer for Janel Grant, who has sued former WWE co-founder Vince McMahon, the company itself, as well as executive John Laurinaitis for sexual misconduct and abuse — told members of the press on Thursday that her client declined to participate in the Netflix docuseries “Mr. McMahon” because she wants to tell her story herself rather than being part of the larger docuseries on McMahon’s life.
“While Janel didn’t participate in the Netflix docuseries, we hope it shines a light on the abhorrent actions of McMahon, frequently on WWE property, and it portrays the realities of his abusive and exploitative behavior,” Callis said.
Grant filed her suit against McMahon in January of this year. She was employed by WWE between 2019 and 2022 and alleges McMahon coerced her into a sexual relationship with both McMahon and company executive and former wrestler John Laurinaitis, with sex taking place at WWE headquarters, as well as attempting to arrange sex between her and WWE wrestler and former UFC fighter Brock Lesnar. Her allegations also include that McMahon repeatedly sexually assaulted her between 2020 and 2021.
When asked why Grant declined to be part of the series, Callis underlined, “Janel deserves the opportunity to tell her full story, not be part of someone else’s.” She also noted that Grant “has the right to tell her story in her own way at the right time.”
WWE co-founder McMahon is both facing Grant’s suit and is under federal investigation. Grant agreed to stay her case against McMahon in late May at the request of the Justice Department, which has been conducting its own criminal investigation into McMahon. That stay expires in December, Callis noted.
The six-episode docususeries, in the works for several years, contains interviews with McMahon himself from before Grant’s allegations were made public and interviews with others about McMahon from both before and after those charges came to light.
Grant and her representatives have not seen the docuseries, Callis said. She also noted that they have no awareness of where the federal government’s case stands at this time, but said, “We would like the charges, if any, be brought expeditiously so she may resume her civil suit.”
Callis later added, “The only thing we know for sure is there is an active, ongoing, non-public criminal investigation.” When asked if they were frustrated with the speed of the federal investigation, though, Callis added, “I was a judge for a long time and a criminal judge for a long time. And I know these things in state court, and I know these things take some time. And what we’d like, we want it to be right, not fast.”
While the case has been stayed, other related motions continue to be filed, including Grant’s team seeking messages between McMahon and Dr. Carlon Colker. According to Callis, Colker treated Grant at McMahon’s direction.
“Janel was being treated with IVs. She didn’t know what was in the IVs,” Callis said. “She was given pills. She didn’t know what was in the pills, the contents of those.”
When asked if Grant’s team had heard from anyone at WWE since the suit was filed or from former employees, Callis said that there had been brief outreach shortly after the suit was filed, but that they have not heard anything or communicated with WWE since.
“We do and did anticipate other victims coming forward,” Callis said, noting that they’d received numerous calls from other potential victims. However, “Right now, with the status of what is going on with the non-public [federal] criminal investigation, we have not spoken to any current victims of Vince McMahon’s sexual abuse at the WWE.”
Callis also noted, “we do have every reason to believe that Janel was not the only woman who was subject to McMahon’s abuse.”
She cited reports that McMahon has agreed to pay out more than $12 million to four women, who were all affiliated with the company at points over the past 16 years, to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and McMahon’s marital infidelity.
“This is a clear pattern of predatory behavior,” Callis said.
Grant has retained public relations firm SKDK ahead of the premiere of the “Mr. McMahon” docuseries. The firm previously worked with survivors of sexual abuse connected with Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and Marilyn Manson, among others.
SKDK’s Kendra Barkoff Lamy, who is working with Grant, has previously worked with survivors of sexual abuse connected with Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and Marilyn Manson, among others. Callis noted that SKDK was being hired “to help support and raise awareness of Janelle’s case.”
Callis took issue with how Grant has been portrayed in the media at times, arguing she should be portrayed “as a survivor of human trafficking and sexual abuse.”
“She’s a victim and a survivor. She is not a WWE storyline,” Callis said in response to a question from TheWrap.
“As we have seen in the press recently with what has come out with [Diddy] and other folks, human trafficking really does take its toll,” Lamy told TheWrap. “That is exactly what happened to Ms. Grant.”
“Because of the extreme cruelty, degradation, exploitation and violence she was subjected to on a near daily basis for more than two years, she now suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and the inability to leave her home for weeks at a time,” Callis said.
Lee Cole, brother of Tom Cole — an alleged victim of sexual abuse in WWE beginning in the 1980s — also joined the call to ask about the effect of abuse on victims.
“Janel experienced and continues to experience severe psychological distress,” Callis said. “She was specifically targeted by McMahon. And as we know, abuse and coercion are never simple. She didn’t have an option to walk away. She was coerced, human trafficked and made to feel like she had no choice but remain silent in order to survive.”
Callis noted that WWE employees had let Grant know they were aware of Grant’s relationship with McMahon, “but offered Grant his hostility instead of support.”
McMahon has faced sexual misconduct allegations in the past, with multiple hush-money settlements and nondisclosure agreements revealed in 2022. He resigned from WWE parent company TKO in January of this year following reports of Grant’s accusations and the filing of her suit.
Laurinaitis, a co-defendant in the suit, initially issued a statement echoing Grant’s claims of sexual misconduct by McMahon and stating that he was also a victim in the situation. However, he later flipped and joined both McMahon and WWE in looking to compel arbitration based on a previous nondisclosure agreement signed by Grant. Grant’s side has argued the NDA is no longer in effect due to McMahon violating his side of the agreement. McMahon has argued that Grant was first to violate the agreement.
Grant is also represented by The Agency Group.
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