The attorney of former WWE employee Janel Grant called this week for WWE to void any nondisclosure agreements signed by employees or contractors who currently or formerly worked for the company.

Per the Associated Press, lawyer Ann Callis released a statement regarding the request she sent to WWE, saying:

"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. This is the first step to rehabilitating a company that covered up decades of sexual assault and human trafficking."

Grant, who was a WWE employee from 2019 to 2022, filed a lawsuit against McMahon, former WWE head of talent relations John Laurinaitis and WWE as a whole in January.

She alleged that McMahon—who was the longtime chairman and CEO of WWE until his resignation in January amid the lawsuit—sexually assaulted her and sexually trafficked her to others in the company.

Grant also alleged that she was pressured into signing a $3 million nondisclosure agreement that McMahon stopped paying on after an initial $1 million payment.

Prior to Grant's lawsuit, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2022 that McMahon paid $12 million to four different women as part of NDAs meant to "keep secret allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity" regarding him.

One of the women alleged that McMahon coerced her into oral sex and another alleged that he sent her unsolicited nude photos and sexually harassed her on the job.

McMahon retired from WWE following the report, but he returned to his position of chairman in January 2023 to help facilitate the sale of the company to Endeavor, which also owns UFC.

He was appointed to the position of chairman of TKO Group, which is the name of the joint WWE-UFC company, but resigned in January 2024.

Per the AP, he has denied Grant's allegations, saying in a statement that her lawsuit is "replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth." He added, "I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name."

Laurinaitis has also denied the allegations against him, including that he and McMahon sexually assaulted Grant at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

Grant's allegations and the findings that McMahon paid hush money to multiple other women were featured in a docuseries entitled Mr. McMahon that released on Netflix last month.

Regarding Callis' request for WWE to cancel all NDAs, McMahon, Laurinaitis and WWE all have yet to comment publicly.

Potential Survivors Speaking Out

In an interview with John Pollock and Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling and Wrestlenomics, a spokesperson for Janel Grant gave further detail on a letter sent to WWE asking for nondisclosure agreements to be waived.

When asked if representatives for Grant had heard from former employees on the matter, Kendra Barkoff Lamy stated:

I know that Janel’s legal team has heard from former employees about their experience within WWE. They themselves, even most recently, up until a couple of days ago, have heard from former employees about this toxic work environment that existed within WWE, and could potentially….we don’t know what’s going on now, which is part of the reason why we are asking for them to open up their doors, allow these women and potentially men, to speak freely and waive these NDAs if they have nothing to hide. If they claim they’ve turned the page on this abuse and toxic workplace, then let these people speak about their experience so they can move on.

Lamy went on to address who signed the agreements, noting that it was “hard to know who signed what and when.”

Grant filed a lawsuit in January against the company and former executives Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, accusing McMahon in particular of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

The full interview, in which Lamy addresses what responsibilities WWE executives have in protecting their employees, can be found below.

WWE's Response

While WWE has not responded directly to the request to waive NDAs, the company has faced increasing pressure to address the allegations against McMahon and create a safer work environment. In a statement, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said at the WWE Royal Rumble press conference, his first public appearance since Grant’s lawsuit was filed, that the company does “everything possible” to ensure people in positions of power cannot take advantage of employees within WWE.

However, Grant’s team maintains that the company’s efforts are not enough. In the letter requesting NDA waivers, Grant’s team calls on WWE to show that it is “truly committed to change” by allowing “survivors to speak their truth without fear of reprisal.” The letter also mentions that what has been “publicly reported” is only “part of the picture,” noting that witnesses have spoken to Grant’s team confidentially and detailed a “sexualized culture at WWE” that “victimizes women and men.” It adds that many victims are “currently afraid to come forward” due to NDAs in place.

Grant’s team’s letter concludes by saying, “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. WWE wants people to believe the company has changed, this is its chance to prove it.”

The call for WWE to waive NDAs comes at a time when the company is undergoing significant changes. In 2022, Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, acquired WWE, merging the two organizations into TKO Group Holdings. The merger was completed in April 2023. This move led to Vince McMahon's return as chairman of the board of TKO Group, which sparked criticism given the allegations against him.

Moving Forward

It remains to be seen whether WWE will grant Janel Grant's request to waive NDAs. The outcome could have significant implications for the company's future and for the many individuals who allege they have been silenced by the company. However, the request raises crucial questions about the power dynamics within the wrestling industry and the need to protect vulnerable employees from exploitation. This situation highlights the ongoing fight for accountability in the face of powerful individuals and corporations, and the importance of providing a platform for survivors to speak out and seek justice.