Co-defendant flips on Vince McMahon, makes deal to help accuser in sex trafficking lawsuit

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Vince McMahon no longer has a long-time ally in his corner.

John Laurinaitis, a former WWE executive who had been named as a co-defendant in the sexual abuse and sex trafficking lawsuit against the pro wrestling mogul, reportedly has reached an agreement to help the accuser.

Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate with and give evidence after reaching a confidential settlement with Janel Grant, according to a statement issued by their representatives on Wednesday.

According to CNBC, a filing in U.S. District Court in Connecticut shows that lawyers for Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss the lawsuit as it applies to the former wrestler and that it will be done so with prejudice, which means that it cannot be refiled.

“John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE,” the reps said in the statement obtained by NBC News.

“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,” the reps added.

“Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time.”

The settlement between Laurinaitis and Grant comes three weeks after she filed an amended civil complaint against him, McMahon, and WWE.

In the original complaint, Grant accused McMahon of soliciting sex in exchange for giving her a job at WWE and of abusing her during their physical relationship.

In an amended version of the complaint filed in January, it is alleged that WWE superstar Brock Lesnar is the employee of the company previously referred to anonymously as “WWE Superstar,” and also alleges that McMahon offered Grant to Lesnar for a sexual encounter during contract negotiations.

The amendment also claims that the WWE founder instructed Grant to send sexually explicit content to Lesnar, who is also a former UFC star.

McMahon allegedly informed Grant that Lesnar would be their next “playmate” and directed her to “create personalized sexual content” for the wrestler.

The suit also claims that in 2021, “McMahon flew and/or caused Lesnar to fly on a jet into a local airport and travel into Connecticut (across state lines) for what McMahon described to Ms. Grant as a ‘business dinner,’ as well as a sexual encounter with Ms. Grant in McMahon’s condo.”

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

“As Mr. Laurinaitis’s lawyer previously said: ‘Mr. Laurinaitis corroborates Mr. McMahon in publicly declaring that Ms. Grant’s allegations of sexual abuse and coercion in her Complaint are completely unfounded.’”

McMahon denied the allegations in the past as well, with a spokesman in early 2024 saying the suit is ” lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene, made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth.”

McMahon, who led WWE into becoming a billion-dollar entertainment industry over the course of decades, resigned as the executive chairman of the board of TKO Group Holdings — the parent company of WWE and Ultimate Fighting Championship — in January 2024 after Grant filed her lawsuit.