John Laurinaitis Dropped From Janel Grant's Lawsuit Against WWE & Vince McMahon

Janel Grant has filed on Wednesday, May 28 to remove John Laurinaitis as a defendant from her sex trafficking lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon, and Laurinaitis.

The filing with the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut states:

"Plaintiff Janel Grant hereby stipulates with Defendant John Laurinaitis that the above-entitled action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice, against Defendant John Laurinaitis. For the sake of clarity, Plaintiff is not dismissing any claims against any defendant other than Mr. Laurinaitis. Each party shall bear its own costs."

A joint statement from representatives for Janel Grant and John Laurinaitis states the two sides have reached a confidential settlement and Laurinaitis has agreed to provide evidence in Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE.

"John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. 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. Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time," a joint statement issued to Cultaholic reads.

Laurinaitis' dismissal with prejudice means the civil case against him is over and Grant is unable to bring the same allegations against Laurinaitis in the future.

Laurinaitis was accused of sexual assault by Janel Grant in her lawsuit filed against the former WWE Head of Talent Relations, Vince McMahon, and WWE in January 2024. Grant filed an amended lawsuit in January 2025 that was accepted by the court.

Grant stated in her lawsuit that she was transferred to work under 'Johnny Ace' in March 2021. Among the allegations against Laurinaitis, Grant claimed that Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon sexually assaulted her in Laurinaitis' office. It was also alleged that Grant was directed to visit Laurinaitis at his hotel room before work and "serve herself to him as his 'breakfast.'"

In the amended lawsuit, Grant added claims that she received a custom corner office "to Laurinaitis' taste" which included an internal door that connected directly to Laurinaitis' office.

While Janel Grant has filed for Laurinaitis to be dismissed from the lawsuit, she is still accusing Vince McMahon of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and physical and emotional abuse. WWE are also still being accused of attempting to sweep the allegations against McMahon under the rug. The case is ongoing.

John Laurinaitis exited WWE in 2022 due to the initial hush money scandal surrounding Vince McMahon. Laurinaitis initially claimed in early 2024 that he was a victim of Vince McMahon before performing a U-turn and siding with Vince McMahon and WWE's motions to compel arbitration.