Ex-WWE executive agrees to help accuser in sex abuse lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE

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Ex-WWE executive agrees to help accuser in sex abuse lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE

2025-05-29 04:36 Last Updated At：04:40

A former WWE executive who had been fighting sexual abuse allegations in a lawsuit by an ex-employee has agreed to a confidential settlement and will now help the accuser as she continues suing the company and former leader Vince McMahon, representatives and lawyers said Wednesday.

John Laurinaitis, WWE's former head of talent relations — who once wrestled under the name Johnny Ace — will aid Janel Grant in her lawsuit against McMahon and the worldwide wrestling entertainment conglomerate. Representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis lawyer Edward Brennan confirmed the settlement-cooperation deal and said Laurinaitis has “evidence” against McMahon and the company, but wouldn't say what it was.

“His agreement to a confidential settlement is a pivotal next step toward holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking,” representatives for Grant and Laurinaitis said in a joint statement. "Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time.”

A court document filed Wednesday says Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to a dismissal of the lawsuit's claims against Laurinaitis, but allegations against the WWE and McMahon remain.

McMahon's lawyer, Jessica Rosenberg, issued a statement in response.

“Today’s dismissal of John Laurinaitis as a defendant doesn’t alter the facts of this case in any way. Vince McMahon never mistreated Janel Grant," Rosenberg said. “No matter how many press releases her team issues, the truth remains unchanged.”

Rosenberg added that a lawyer for Laurinaitis previously said the lawsuit's allegations were unfounded.

Representatives for the WWE did not immediately return emails seeking comment Wednesday.

Grant sued the WWE, McMahon and Laurinaitis last year in federal court in Connecticut, where the WWE is based in Stamford. In graphic detail, she alleges McMahon coerced her into sex acts with him, Laurinaitis and others, and she claims both men sexually assaulted her. She says she was made to do humiliating acts during the encounters. The lawsuit also includes photos of sexual texts it says McMahon sent Grant.

McMahon, former CEO and chairman of WWE, has denied Grant’s allegations. He has previously said the lawsuit is “replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.” His lawyers said in court documents that he had a consensual relationship with Grant and never mistreated her.

Grant first started working for the WWE in 2019 as an entry-level employee in its legal department, a job arranged by McMahon, and later transferred to the talent relations department, where Laurinaitis was her boss.

Grant has said she was eventually pressured into leaving her job with the WWE and signing a $3 million nondisclosure agreement. The lawsuit also seeks to have the agreement declared invalid, saying McMahon breached the deal by giving her $1 million and failing to pay the rest.

Currently pending in the lawsuit are motions by McMahon, the WWE and Laurinaitis to move all the claims to arbitration. They said the lawsuit should not be allowed because Grant agreed to settle any disputes in arbitration as part of her nondisclosure agreement.

McMahon resigned from WWE’s parent company in January 2024 after Grant filed her lawsuit. At the time, McMahon stepped down from his position as executive chair of the board of directors at WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings.

McMahon also resigned as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations that match those in Grant's lawsuit.

McMahon bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a worldwide phenomenon. Besides running the company with his wife, Linda, who is now the U.S. education secretary, he also performed at WWE events as himself.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.