In response to Janel Grant’s petition filed last week in Connecticut Superior Court, Vince McMahon’s attorneys are moving to prevent Grant from using any evidence gained from that petition.
McMahon’s attorneys argue the petition in state court is a violation of the stay on the federal lawsuit. He’s also asking the court to declare that Grant could be held in contempt for filing the petition and any similar actions.
Grant, who is a former WWE employee, sued McMahon, WWE, and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis in federal court in January, alleging sex trafficking and sexual assault.
In May, the parties agreed to put the federal lawsuit on hold pending a federal investigation. Possibly related, in February it was reported that the Southern District of New York is investigating allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault against McMahon. SDNY U.S. attorneys intervened in the civil case when the suit was stayed.
Last week, Grant filed a petition against Dr. Carlon Colker and his clinic, Peak Wellness, to obtain medical records and testimony. Colker and his facility aren’t defendants in the federal lawsuit.
In the petition, Grant claimed that she was pressured by McMahon to visit Colker’s clinic, where she was given pills and I.V. infusions, and that she was denied knowledge of the substance of those prescriptions.
“Today’s motion is in response to Ms. Grant’s flagrant violation of the federal Stay Order,” McMahon’s attorney Jessica Taub Rosenberg said in a statement to Wrestlenomics.
“After telling the Federal Court that she would pause her lawsuit, Ms. Grant immediately violated the Stay Order seeking one-sided discovery for her own benefit. Her lawyer told the media that the information sought in the new Connecticut state action is ‘to assist in our claims in the federal action’,” Rosenberg said. The new filings indicate this is a reference to an article with law.com. “We are asking the Federal Court to ensure that Plaintiff abides by the Court’s order and if she does not that civil contempt and financial sanctions may result.”
Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis, repeated the statement she provided last week after McMahon’s side claimed Grant violated the federal stay by filing the petition in state court.
“We did not violate a federal stay by filing a state action against a non-defendant,” Callis said.
Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He operates and owns Wrestlenomics.