Last week, TKO Group Holdings Executive Chairman Vince McMahon resigned from his position and relinquished all involvement with WWE after a lawsuit from ex-WWE employee Janel Grant accused him of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking to others within the company. Despite his resignation, McMahon continues to deny the allegations – although John Laurinaitis, WWE’s former Head of Talent Relations who is also named in the suit, appeared to confirm the allegations in a statement yesterday.
In a new update this morning, Wall Street Journal is reporting that New York federal prosecutors are investigating the claims made against McMahon and not just those made by Grant in her recent suit. In fact, authorities are said to have been in contact with other women accusing the former WWE Chairman of sexual misconduct in the last few months.
The outlet also provided further details on the federal grand jury subpoena which McMahon was served with last summer. Specifically, the subpoena is reported to have requested McMahon turn over documents related to any prior allegations of “rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment or discrimination” made by current or former WWE employees. In addition, it also requested any communications made between McMahon and his alleged victims, including Grant.
The report goes on to note that Grant was one of several women named in the subpoena. The others include former WWE referee Rita Chatterton who first accused McMahon of rape back in 1992; a WWE contractor who claims McMahon sexually harassed her and sent unsolicited nude photos; a former WWE wrestler who McMahon allegedly coerced into giving him oral sex; a spa manager who claims McMahon assaulted her at a California resort in 2011; and a former WWE employee who claims John Laurinaitis demoted her after she ended an affair with him.
Details on the federal grand jury subpoena being served to McMahon first came to light in a WWE SEC filing back in August 2023. The filing noted that federal agents had executed a search warrant on top of serving the subpoena to McMahon the previous month. It added that the company had received legal demands from both federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies to hand over documents relating to the investigation but that no charges had been made.
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