Vince McMahon has resigned from all of his positions within TKO, including TKO Executive Chairman and the TKO Board of Directors, following a lawsuit alleging his involvement in a sex trafficking and abuse scandal with former WWE employee Janel Grant.
Earlier this week, 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 claimed that her client was coerced into writing the letter by McMahon.
During a recent interview with POST Wrestling’s John Pollock and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston, Callis called the sudden release of the letter an attempt to intimidate and victim-shame Grant.
Callis said, “It was a tactic to intimidate Janel and victim-shame her.”
An attorney for McMahon has claimed that the letter confirms the relationship between Grant and McMahon was consensual.
The letter refers to the others 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 noted that the “Paul” referenced in the letter is Paul Mangieri, an executive assistant at WWE.
Additionally, those familiar with WWE said Mickey Mangieri previously worked as McMahon’s assistant.
While some speculated that the Paul in the letter could be WWE Chief Content Officer and McMahon’s son-in-law, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, that isn’t the case.
Callis was asked if Levesque was aware of McMahon’s activities with Grant before the matter was presented before the WWE Board of Directors in March 2022.
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 further stated that the love letters were part of other well-known sex-trafficking cases, including against Jeffrey Epstein, R. Kelly, and Keith Raniere. She continued,
“For Vince McMahon, it’s further proof of misconduct, redoing and editing the letter — it wasn’t love, it was fear of repercussions. 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 Grant stating in her letter it was the 24th draft of the document, McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Taub Rosenberg of the Kasowitz Benson Torres law firm stated,
“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 proves the allegations are a “sham,” noting,
“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. 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, stated,
“My client and I are satisfied that when all the facts become known, Mr. Lauriniatis will be vindicated from the allegations leveled against him. Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out…Judge Callis was a learned judge and is a skilled litigator. 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…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.”
Grant has accused both Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis of sexual misconduct and sex trafficking. They’ve both been served a summons and have until mid-May to respond.
Laurinaitis’ camp filed a waiver of service as a public filing, and his deadline is May 14.
Vince McMahon Resigns from TKO Amidst Allegations of Sex Trafficking and Abuse
In a shocking turn of events, Vince McMahon, the well-known executive chairman of TKO, has resigned from all his positions within the company. This decision comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed against McMahon, accusing him of involvement in a sex trafficking and abuse scandal with former WWE employee Janel Grant.
The lawsuit gained attention when a letter from Grant to McMahon surfaced, revealing details of their alleged relationship. The letter was obtained from Grant’s laptop during an investigation conducted by the law firm Simpson, Thacher, and Bartlett on behalf of WWE’s board. Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, claims that her client was coerced into writing the letter by McMahon.
During an interview with POST Wrestling’s John Pollock and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston, Callis expressed her belief that the release of the letter was an attempt to intimidate and victim-shame Grant. She stated, “It was a tactic to intimidate Janel and victim-shame her.”
In response to the allegations, McMahon’s attorney argued that the letter confirms the relationship between Grant and McMahon was consensual. The letter mentions others who were aware of their “relationship,” including a person named Paul. Callis clarified that the Paul mentioned in the letter is Paul Mangieri, an executive assistant at WWE. It is important to note that Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Chief Content Officer and McMahon’s son-in-law, is not the Paul referred to in the letter.
When asked about Levesque’s knowledge of McMahon’s activities with Grant, Callis stated that she could not comment on it at the moment but mentioned that witnesses were coming forward regarding the knowledge of WWE executives.
Callis also highlighted that the love letters presented as evidence were similar to those seen in other high-profile sex trafficking cases involving individuals like Jeffrey Epstein, R. Kelly, and Keith Raniere. She argued that McMahon’s alleged coercion of Grant to write the letter was a form of emotional manipulation and control, common in sex trafficking situations.
McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Taub Rosenberg, countered these claims, stating that it made no sense to coerce someone into writing 24 drafts of a multiple-page love letter. Rosenberg argued that the letter was evidence of a consensual relationship and dismissed the allegations as a “sham.”
Another individual named in the lawsuit is former WWE executive John Laurinaitis. His lawyer, Edward M. Brennan, expressed confidence that Laurinaitis would be vindicated once all the facts were known. Brennan emphasized that his client was a victim in this case, not a predator.
Grant has accused both McMahon and Laurinaitis of sexual misconduct and sex trafficking. Both individuals have been served a summons and have until mid-May to respond.
These allegations have sent shockwaves through the wrestling community and have raised questions about the culture within the industry. As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how this scandal will impact TKO and its future.