Janel Grant Ask WWE To Release NDAs For More People To Come Forward

Janel Grant wants more people to be able to come forward.

Since January we have all been following the Janel Grant/Vince McMahon situation after she came forward with multiple allegations against the former WWE CEO. Since then her side has said they have heard from others who would like to come forward as well but can not due to NDAs. Now they are asking top brass in the company to release those NDAs.

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.

The full letter titled “WWE Survivors” can be accessed here.