The judge in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis ruled on Thursday that Grant has until January 31 to present her argument to the court on why she should be allowed to amend her complaint.
New federal judge Sarah F. Russell, who was recently assigned to the case that’s been ongoing since January 2024, denied Grant’s attorneys’ request for a status conference. Russell also ruled that the stay on the case, which was in effect from June to December at the request of federal prosecutors, has expired. That had been an issue of contention, with Grant’s side arguing that the stay had not been formally lifted yet, and the defendants asserting otherwise.
For the time being, Russell denied the defendants’ motions to move the case into private arbitration. They will be allowed to renew those motions after the court decides whether to allow Grant to amend her complaint, assuming she submits such an argument by the end of the month. The new ruling also means that only if the judge rules in favor of Grant’s motion to change her complaint will she be allowed to submit one.
It’s unclear what specific modifications Grant intends to make to her complaint. The plaintiff’s attorneys argued that McMahon’s recent settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission further underscores the need to amend her lawsuit, which alleges she was sexually assaulted by both Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, as well as trafficked during her time as a WWE employee. She alleges WWE is liable due in part to its executives’ awareness of the relationship between McMahon and Grant. The defendants have denied her allegations.
The defendants have argued that this dispute should be moved to arbitration, where the litigation would not be public, due to an arbitration clause that was part of the settlement agreement in which McMahon agreed to pay Grant $3 million for her silence and to release McMahon and WWE of liability.
The case had been put on pause throughout much of the summer and fall at the request of prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, which was reportedly investigating allegations against McMahon of sexual assault and sex trafficking. The stay expired on December 11, and no charges have been filed to date.
