### Former WWE Employee Seeks to Lift NDAs Amid Sexual Battery Allegations Against Vince McMahon

A previous WWE staff member who has sued the professional wrestling company and its former leader, Vince McMahon, for sexual battery and trafficking is asking WWE to release other past and present employees and contractors from nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). This could potentially allow them to bring forth similar accusations. Janel Grant's lawyer sent a request for this late Monday to the lawyers representing WWE, McMahon, and ex-WWE executive John Laurinaitis.

Grant, who was part of WWE's legal and talent departments from 2019 to 2022, initiated her lawsuit in January, accusing McMahon and Laurinaitis of severe misconduct, including sexual assault, harassment, trafficking, and other forms of physical and emotional abuse. Notably, McMahon resigned as both CEO of WWE in 2022 and as executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings in January, just a day after Grant filed her lawsuit.

Grant's attorney, Ann Callis, urged WWE and its parent company, Endeavor, to demonstrate their commitment to moving away from McMahon's leadership and the hostile workplace culture he allegedly fostered. Callis stated, "If WWE and its parent company Endeavor are serious about parting ways with Vince McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created, their executives should have no problem with releasing former WWE employees from their NDAs."

McMahon has dismissed Grant's accusations, labeling them as "lies" and "a vindictive distortion of the truth." He vowed to fight the allegations and clear his name. His legal team claims he had a consensual relationship with Grant and did not mistreat her. On the other hand, Laurinaitis’s lawyer also denied the allegations, asserting Laurinaitis was another victim in the situation.

Grant alleges she was coerced into leaving WWE and signing a $3 million NDA. Her lawsuit argues that the agreement should be invalidated since McMahon breached it by paying only $1 million. Furthermore, the Wall Street Journal reported that four other women who had relationships with McMahon also signed NDAs, but Grant was not among them.

This request to waive NDAs is reminiscent of past instances at the Weinstein Co. and NBC Universal, where such agreements were lifted amid sexual misconduct allegations involving Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer, respectively. Victims' advocates criticize NDAs for silencing accusers and shielding alleged abusers from accountability. Laws now exist at the federal level and in more than a dozen states to limit NDAs from preventing victims of sexual harassment from speaking publicly about their experiences.

Grant's lawsuit details troubling allegations, including claims that McMahon forced her into sexual relations to secure and maintain her job, directed her to engage in sexual activities with others including Laurinaitis, and recruited others for sexual encounters with her. She also accuses McMahon of sharing explicit photos and videos of her with other men against her wishes and subjecting her to degrading acts.

This ongoing legal battle highlights the profound issues within the WWE and its handling of sexual misconduct allegations, reaching into the highest levels of its corporate structure.