Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, as expected, has officially put Janel Grant’s lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon, and John Laurinaitis on hold, pending a federal investigation.
As reported earlier, around May 30, the parties agreed to put the lawsuit on hold while a federal investigation continues that’s related to the case.
The ruling puts the case on a six-month pause, making way for a federal investigation involving attorneys from the Southern District of New York. New sealed filings from an attorney from SDNY appeared on the docket on May 30, as well.
The defendants’ motions to compel arbitration were denied by the judge for now, “without prejudice”, meaning those motions may be renewed when the stay is lifted, possibly around December 11.
Grant’s motion to strike a portion of Vince McMahon’s earlier filing was also denied as moot.
Until the case was stayed, the defendants were arguing that the dispute should move to private arbitration, citing details in the nondisclosure agreement Grant and McMahon signed in January 2022.
The Wall Street Journal reported in February that allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault against McMahon are being investigated by the Southern District of New York. WWE disclosed in its regulatory filings last summer that a subpoena and search warrant had been executed on McMahon.
“Mr. McMahon is eager to prove Ms. Grant’s claims are false and expose her lies, but did not object to the government’s request to pause the matter in connection with the investigation regarding disclosures at WWE,” a spokesperson for McMahon told Wrestlenomics in a new comment Tuesday evening.
“Following the six-month stay, when his legal team is able to get discovery and depose Ms. Grant and others, the evidence will show the relationship was consensual and Ms. Grant’s allegations are malicious fabrications of a jilted lover.”
Grant, who is a former WWE employee, accuses McMahon of sex trafficking and sexual assault, among other allegations. Grant claims she was trafficked to Laurinaitis, who, she says, also sexually assaulted her. WWE executives are accused of being supportive of the relationship.
We contacted Grant’s representatives who did not provide a comment for this report.
The new court filings are sealed and not fully viewable but the docket entry makes the judge’s ruling clear.
The text from the docket entry:
ORDER OF STAY AND DENIAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE OF PENDING MOTIONS. On the basis of the Court’s understanding that the parties mutually consent to a stay of these proceedings for a period of approximately six months, the Court STAYS this action to December 11, 2024. In light of the stay of this action and the possibility of any change of circumstances during the pendency of the stay, the Court DENIES the defendants’ pending motions to compel arbitration (Docs. # 30, # 35, and # 61 ) without prejudice to renewal within two weeks of any future order of the Court lifting the stay. The Court likewise DENIES as moot plaintiff’s motion to strike (Doc. # 31 ) with respect to allegations in a memorandum of law concerning a motion that has now been denied. It is so ordered.. Signed by Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer on 6/11/2024.
Law professor Alex B. Long joined us last week to discuss his new book covering a variety of legal cases related to the pro wrestling business, and we touched on the news of this case being put on hold.
Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He operates and owns Wrestlenomics.