Janel Grant Describes Her Feelings for Vince McMahon, Says She Feels ‘Forgiveness’ for Him

During a recent interview with John Pollock for POST Wrestling, former WWE employee Janel Grant addressed her feelings toward former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, claiming she feels “forgiveness” for him.

As noted, in January 2024, Grant filed a lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis, alleging sexual assault and trafficking. Shortly after the lawsuit, McMahon, who denied the allegations, resigned from his post as Executive Chairman of the Board of WWE parent company TKO.

Grant also noted that when the story about the allegations against McMahon was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal, her instinct was to ask if McMahon was “okay.” Below are some highlights of Grant’s comments:

On Her Instinct About McMahon’s Wellbeing When the Story About the Allegations Initially Surfaced in 2022

“I asked the attorney a question that I don’t know I ever got an answer [to]. I said, ‘Is he okay?’ Because I thought, if I instantly felt like I might want to not be here anymore, if this was something that maybe my light goes out in life, why wouldn’t he feel the same way, if something’s about to be outed.”

On Why She Had Concern for McMahon in Light of Her Allegations Against Him

“It’s actually, to be in my body and see the world through my eyes, it’s pretty easy. He’s the only person who can tell me if I’m going to be okay. And what’s going on, like, what just happened? How did this happen? He’s the only person who would know that. That’s how I felt.”

Janel Grant on How She Feels About Vince McMahon Now

“Forgiveness. I don’t know how else to describe it, other than there’s something that does not take up space in my brain. I feel even empathy, because in a weird way, and this is extreme polar opposites, the thing that might… the series of events that caused The Journal story to happen — whatever it was — it equally impacted him… There are so many people involved in [the] decision-making that I can’t sit still and process. Instead, what occupies my brain is whatever series of events and decision-makers caused the anonymous emails to happen or The Wall Street Journal story to happen, and the events that have played out since, however they have played out. That is what occupies my brain.”

Grant and McMahon jointly filed to move the lawsuit to arbitration earlier in July. There has yet to be an update on the lawsuit since that filing. Grant also recently received the Advocacy In Action Award from the Connecticut Alliance To End Sexual Violence.

If you know someone who is being abused, or if you yourself are a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Call 1-800-656-4673 to be connected with the National Sexual Assault Hotline.