Janel Grant’s Representatives Request WWE to Waive Nondisclosure Agreements

UPDATE: PWInsider The attorneys of former WWE employee Janel Grant have now issued a statement and a copy of the letter that was sent to attorneys for WWE, Vince McMahon, and John Laurinaitis asking that they wave the nondisclosure agreements for former employees, contractors, and current employees of WWE. You can read the full statement and copy of the letter below:

Attorneys for Janel Grant, Former WWE Employee and Sexual Assault Survivor, Demand WWE and Endeavor Release Ex-Employees from NDAs

WWE continues to protect former CEO Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis by silencing survivors of sexual abuse, harassment and workplace violence

NEW YORK – Yesterday, Ann Callis, attorney for Janel Grant, sent a letter to attorneys for WWE President Nick Khan, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, WWE’s parent company, calling on company leadership to waive WWE’s non-disclosure agreements to allow former and current employees, wrestlers and contractors to speak out about sexual misconduct, sexual assault, harassment, workplace aggression and the toxic culture at WWE. The letter includes releasing women who specifically signed NDAs with Vince McMcahon or John Laurinaitis during their tenure at WWE.

Callis explains in the letter that by enforcing strict NDAs, McMahon and WWE are preventing former employees from speaking openly about their abuse, subjecting them to further emotional harm caused by the ongoing threat of litigation, and allowing abuse to continue at WWE unchecked. Specifically, she writes:

“WWE cannot move on from its sordid past while its victims remain silenced. Survivors deserve an opportunity to share their experiences on their terms. Forced silence only deepens the wounds of sexual abuse. Survivors are revictimized every time they are muzzled and forced to live in fear of attack from a multi-billion-dollar business that can hire an army of lawyers to bury them in legal fees if they speak the truth. Even unenforceable NDAs, like the one our client was coerced to sign, have a chilling effect because individuals do not have the will or resources to fight them.”

Ann goes on to write that she has received many reports that survivors, who have not yet come forward publicly, are unable to speak out about the abuse they endured at WWE because of their NDAs. What has been reported is only part of the story.

“We urge WWE to quickly and proactively release its current and former employees and contractors from any obligations under any WWE-executed NDA that would prevent them from discussing sexual misconduct, abuse, or assault during their time at WWE without delay. WWE wants people to believe the company has changed—this is its chance to prove it.”

Ms. Grant is the former WWE employee and sexual assault and human trafficking survivor who has filed a lawsuit against former WWE CEO McMahon, former WWE executive John Laurinaitis, and the WWE organization. The lawsuit is currently stayed due to the ongoing federal investigation by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

There is precedent for releasing employees from NDAs, particularly in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2018, as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, The Weinstein Company released former employees from NDAs which were signed as a condition of their employment – freeing them to discuss their experiences at the company. Later in 2020, Harvey Weinstein followed suit by releasing several survivors of his sexual abuse and harassment from their NDAs in a $19 million legal settlement. Separately, in 2019, NBCUniversal released former employees who alleged harassment or discrimination at the company from their NDAs, including those with complaints about former “Today” host Matt Lauer.

October 7, 2024

Re: Re: Call for WWE to Release Former and Current Employees and Contractors from Non-Disclosure Agreements

Dear Mr. Toal, Ms. Rosenberg, and Mr. Brennan:

World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (“WWE”) has said that it “takes Ms. Grant’s allegations very seriously and has no tolerance for any physical abuse or unwanted physical contact.” In other words, WWE would like the world to believe that it has reformed its workplace culture. But if WWE is truly committed to change, it must allow survivors to speak their truth without fear of reprisal. We call upon WWE to publicly waive enforcement of its non-disclosure agreements (“NDAs”) to allow its former and current employees and contractors (including wrestlers contracted to perform under the WWE brand) to speak out about sexual misconduct, sexual assault, harassment, and workplace aggression or disputes concerning the toxic culture at WWE. This includes releasing women who signed NDAs related to sexual misconduct by former CEO Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis and other WWE leadership and employees as conditions of settlement.

The toxic and sexualized culture at WWE during Mr. McMahon’s tenure as CEO and Chairman was open and notorious. Yet what has been publicly reported is only part of the picture. We have had witnesses come to us confidentially and describe a sexualized culture at WWE that victimizes women and men. We have received reports that many victims are currently afraid to come forward because of punitive non-disclosure and nondisparagement agreements. For example, as The Wall Street Journal reported on July 8, 2022, Mr. McMahon paid over $12 million to at least four women to secure their silence about his sexual misconduct. Our client is just one of an untold many. We therefore also ask Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis to affirm that survivors and WWE employees who witnessed abuse may speak about their experiences without fear of retribution and retaliation.

WWE cannot move on from its sordid past while its victims remain silenced. Survivors deserve an opportunity to share their experiences on their terms. Forced silence only deepens the wounds of sexual abuse. Survivors are revictimized every time they are muzzled and forced to live in fear of attack from a multi-billion-dollar business that can hire an army of lawyers to bury them in legal fees if they speak the truth. Even unenforceable NDAs, like the one our client was coerced to sign, have a chilling effect because individuals do not have the will or resources to fight them. WWE must clarify that any NDAs that it has entered are not intended to prevent disclosure of sexual misconduct, abuse, or assault, and disclaim and waive any claims it may have under those NDAs if current or former employees and contractors choose to speak out.

We urge WWE to quickly and proactively release its current and former employees and contractors from any obligations under any WWE-executed NDA that would prevent them from discussing sexual misconduct, abuse, or assault during their time at WWE without delay. WWE wants people to believe the company has changed—this is its chance to prove it.

ORIGINAL: According to a report by The Associated Press, the lawyer for former WWE employee Janel Grant requested WWE to waive the nondisclosure agreements to other former and current employees and contractors to potentially come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. Grant is currently suing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, former executive John Laurinaitis, and WWE in a civil lawsuit, alleging McMahon committed sexual assault and sexual trafficking against her.

Grant’s lawyer reportedly emailed a letter to WWE in order to make the request late on Monday (Oct. 7) to attorneys representing WWE, McMahon, and Laurinaitis. Waiving the NDAs would allow current and former WWE employees and contracts to possibly come forward with new allegations.

Curtis Vogel, a spokesperson for McMahon, reportedly declined to comment to the Associated Press on the request. Grant Filed a lawsuit against McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE earlier this year, alleging that she was a victim of sexual assault, harassment, trafficking, and other physical and emotional abuse. McMahon later resigned from his post as Executive Chairman of the Board of World Wrestling Entertainment parent company TKO Group Holdings after the lawsuit became public.

In a statement on the request, Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, stated, “If WWE and its parent company Endeavor are serious about parting ways with Vince McMahon and the toxic workplace culture he created, their executives should have no problem with releasing former WWE employees from their NDAs.” She continued, “This is the first step to rehabilitating a company that covered up decades of sexual assault and human trafficking.”

McMahon denied the claims in Grant’s lawsuit. Laurinaitis’ lawyer denied the allegations and later claimed that Laurinaitis was also a victim of McMahon.

Four other women formerly affiliated with WWE reportedly signed NDAs with McMahon, which bar them from discussing their relationships with him. According to Grant’s representatives, she was not among those four individuals. Grant’s request is similar to ones made to other companies regarding allegations of sexual misconduct. Previously in 2018 and 2018, The Weinstein Company and NBC Universal released employees, former employees, and other individuals from NDAs that were made in connection with claims of sexual misconduct against movie producer Harvey Weinstein and Today host Matt Lauer.

Previously, Grant agreed to pause her lawsuit in May for a period of six months pending completion of an ongoing federal investigation into McMahon.