Lawyer for Janel Grant Responds to Release of Love Letter to Vince McMahon, Calls It an Attempt to ‘Intimidate’ Her Client

– As previously reported, in the ongoing legal battle between former WWE staffer Janel Grant and former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, a letter surfaced from Grant to McMahon, which was taken from her laptop during an investigation on behalf of WWE’s board by law firm Simpson, Thacher, and Bartlett. Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, later said that her client was coerced into writing the letter by McMahon. During a new interview with POST Wrestling’s John Pollock and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston, Callis also called the release of the letter earlier this week an attempt to intimidate and victim-shame Grant.

Callis said on the letter, which was released by The New York Post, “It was a tactic to intimidate Janel and victim-shame her.” An attorney for McMahon claims the letter is proof the relationship between Grant and McMahon was consensual.

The letter in question refers to other people who were aware of Grant and McMahon’s “relationship.” It reads, “Even though so few people know about us, the most freeing feeling this year came when we got to act like a couple — openly, freely — when Mickey, Paul and the Chef were around us.” Callis informed Pollock and Thurston that the “Paul” referenced in the letter is Paul Mangieri, who works as an executive assistant at WWE. Additionally, the report notes that those familiar with WWE said that Mickey Mangieri previously worked as an assistant to McMahon.

While some speculated that the Paul in the letter could have been referring to WWE Chief Content Officer and McMahon’s son-in-law, Paul “Triple H” Leveseque, that isn’t the case. Callis was asked if Levesque was aware of McMahon’s activities with grant before the WWE Board od Directors was alerted in March 2022 about Grant’s claims of misconduct. Callis responded, “I can’t comment on that now, just to say that we do have witnesses still coming forward [about] the knowledge of executives at the WWE.”

Callis also noted that love letters were part of other well-known sex-trafficking cases, including against Jeffrey Epstein, R. Kelly, and Keith Raniere. She also added, “For Vince McMahon, it’s further proof of misconduct, redoing and editing the letter — it wasn’t love, it was fear of repercussions.” Grant continued on client, “She [Grant] was, frankly, an emotional prisoner and was asked to [write a love letter] by Vince McMahon. This isn’t a new thing, like, ‘gotcha,’ It happens when people are sex trafficked.”

With regards to Janel Grant stating in her letter this was the 24th draft of the letter, McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Taub Rosenberg of the Kasowitz Benson Torres law firm stated on the letter, “Ms. Grant’s letter is multiple pages, includes details of their relationship and indicates she wrote 24 drafts. It makes no sense to coerce someone to write 24 drafts of a multiple-page love letter.”

Rosenberg claims the letter is proof the allegations are a “sham,” stating to POST Wrestling, “Ms. Grant wrote this love letter to Mr. McMahon. Her attorney is now desperately trying to explain it away because it shows the relationship was consensual and the lawsuit’s allegations are a sham. The false explanation that it was ‘coerced’ is nonsense.” She also claimed more material will emerge that will support McMahon’s case, adding, “Ms. Grant’s letter is just one piece of evidence demonstrating the relationship was consensual and her allegations in the lawsuit are false. There are more pieces of evidence like this to come that will prove her claims are meritless.”

Edward M. Brennan, the lawyer for former WWE executive John Laurinaitis, who was also named as a plaintiff by Grant, issued a statement to POST Wrestling, stating, “My client and I are satisfied that when all the facts become known, Mr. Lauriniatis will be vindicated from the allegations leveled against him.” Earlier, Brennan claimed that Laurinaitis was a victim of McMahon similar to Grant, stating, “Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”

Brennan also wrote in an email to POST Wrestling on Ann Callis, “Judge Callis was a learned judge and is a skilled litigator.” He continued, “I anticipate she will ultimately see that Mr. Lauriniatis is, like her client, a victim in this case, and Judge Callis will do the right thing and dismiss my client from this lawsuit. In the event she does not, my client will clear his name and reputation in Court, not in the media.”

Callis stated on how her client has suffered as a result of alleged misconduct by McMahon and Laurinaitis, “For someone who because of what happened to her, suffering from PTSD and other ailments, she’s resilient. We’ve been talking on the phone and talking to her a lot recently. So she’s okay.”

WWE has also been named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Grant is accusing both Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis of sexual misconduct and sex trafficking. They’ve all been served a summons and have until mid-May to respond. Laurinaitis’ camp filed a waiver of service as a public filing, and his date to answer is May 14. POST Wrestling reports that reps for WWE and TKO didn’t respond to a request for the story.