While former WWE employee Janel Grant isn’t in the new Netflix documentary Mr. McMahon, her lawsuit detailing the allegations against Vince McMahon are explored.
In 2020, Chris Smith and Bill Simmons announced Mr. McMahon as a multi-part documentary on the WWE co-founder and his history building the wrestling empire. At the time, there was little reason to believe it would be able to dig deeper past McMahon’s on-stage character.
This all changed in 2022, however, when the first wave of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, causing McMahon to retire. Although he returned to head up the WWE and UFC merger at TKO, he officially stepped down after Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing McMahon of sexual assault and trafficking.
Though these are explored in Netflix’s new documentary, a majority of the major WWE figures did not return for second interviews, meaning this part of the story is told through the journalists who broke the news. But what about Grant? Warning: some may find this content distressing.
Where is Janel Grant now?
Janel Grant is a Connecticut resident and currently keeping a low profile as her case is ongoing. Her legal team held a press call ahead of the release of Mr. McMahon, reiterating that they hope Grant gets her day in court and that she deserves to tell her own story.
The news arrived after Grant took on PR firm SKDK to represent her, with the company having previously worked with the survivors of Harvey Weinstein, Marilyn Manson, and Jeffrey Epstein.
In a press release shared by SKDK earlier this month, it said, “Janel Grant is a survivor of incomprehensible abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking at the hands of Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE.
“She has courageously come forward to seek justice for herself and other survivors, and we are honored to support her in sharing her story.”
Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, added, “SKDK has a proven track record of uplifting survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking. We look forward to our partnership in seeking justice on behalf of our client Janel Grant.”
During the call, Callis described the “extreme cruelty” and “violence on a daily basis” Grant was allegedly subjected to while working for the WWE, which she said led to Grant developing PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Grant worked at the WWE between June 2019 to March 2022, having first met McMahon in March 2019. She filed the lawsuit in January 2024, alleging that “McMahon pushed Ms. Grant for a physical relationship in return for long-promised employment at WWE.”
Although her legal team said they had “hoped” the Netflix docuseries would do her story justice, since landing on the streaming service, Callis has said it only “scratches the surface.”
In a statement shared with Wrestlenomics reporter Brandon Thurston, Grant’s attorney said, “The Mr. McMahon docuseries makes it clear there is no difference between Vince McMahon’s on-air persona and his true self, they are one and the same.
“His ‘character’ – known for violent outbursts, sexual deviance, and manipulation – is the real Vince McMahon and exactly what Janel Grant experienced behind closed doors at WWE for years.
“While the docuseries put McMahon’s obsession with power and control on full display, it only scratches the surface of his criminal behavior and it fails to tell the full story of his abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking of Ms. Grant.”
Back in May, it was revealed that Grant agreed to put her lawsuit on hold at the request of the US Justice Department. This doesn’t mean her case is dropped; it is just on pause as the ongoing federal investigation into the allegations against McMahon takes place.
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Why Grant wasn’t in Mr. McMahon
Numerous viewers wondered why Grant didn’t appear in Mr. McMahon, but Callis explained on her behalf that “Janel deserves the opportunity to tell her full story, not be a part of someone else’s.”
There could also be the matter of legal proceedings. With an active lawsuit in place, it’s possible that Grant avoided the documentary to prevent any claims or statements from interfering or complicating the legal process.
New comment from Janel Grant’s attorney Ann Callis on the Mr. McMahon Netflix docuseries:“The ‘Mr. McMahon’ docuseries makes it clear there is no difference between Vince McMahon’s on-air persona and his true self, they are one and the same. His “character” – known for violent…
— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) September 25, 2024
Chris Vannini of The Athletic asked during the press call whether the creators had reached out to Grant to be in their series, and though Callis didn’t respond with a yes or no, she did reiterate that Grant should be able to tell her story on her own terms.
This was reinforced at the end of the attorney’s latest statement, which reads, “She deserves the opportunity to tell her story, on her own time, and in her own way. We look forward to her day in court and to seeing McMahon at last held accountable for his actions.”
McMahon allegations explained
Grant’s lawsuit, first obtained by the Wall Street Journal, claims McMahon pushed her into a sexual relationship and “recruited individuals to have sexual relations with Ms. Grant and/or with the two of them.”
The former WWE boss is also accused of “sharing sexually explicit photographs and videos” of Grant with other men both inside and outside of the company.
McMahon allegedly requested personalized sexual content from Grant for an unnamed wrestler he was trying to re-sign. Sources close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal the wrestler was Brock Lesnar.
“McMahon also subjected Ms. Grant to acts of extreme cruelty and degradation that caused Ms. Grant to disassociate and/or become numb to reality in order to survive the horrific encounters,” the complaint adds.
“As one example of McMahon’s extreme depravity, on May 9, 2020, he defecated on Ms. Grant during a threesome, and then commanded her to continue pleasuring his ‘friend’ with feces in her hair and running down her back.”
In a separate 2021 incident, McMahon and Laurinaitis are accused of sexually assaulting Grant in the WWE headquarters during work hours, “each taking turns restraining her for the other.”
All of this time, McMahon allegedly ordered Grant to keep their relationship a secret unless told otherwise. “He exercised complete ownership and control over both her personal and professional lives.”
After McMahon’s wife Linda reportedly found out about Grant, he is accused of telling her she would no longer be under employment while urging her to sign an NDA, saying otherwise she would “suffer reputational ruin” and “face McMahon’s legal resources.”
The lawsuit states that Grant has been left “physically and mentally” crippled, including from “debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation.”
Although he denied the allegations, McMahon stepped down from his position at TKO. As the federal investigation is underway, this case is ongoing.
For more coverage, check out five other shocking moments in Mr McMahon, why the WWE has been accused of promoting “racist trash”, how to watch Hulk Hogan’s terrible movie, Stephanie McMahon’s earlier Mike Tyson blunder, and Vince’s shocking scrapped incest storyline.