Why Vince McMahon’s Main Accuser Won’t Appear in New Netflix Docuseries

Attorney Ann Callis of Holland Law Firm, who represents former World Wrestling Entertainment employee Janel Grant in her sexual misconduct lawsuit against Vince McMahon, the former CEO of WWE, gave a virtual press conference on Thursday ahead of the Sept. 25 premiere of the Netflix documentary series Mr. McMahon. Grant, Callis said, does not appear in and has not seen the show, which features interviews with McMahon and WWE stars including John Cena, Steve Austin, Dwayne Johnson, and Hulk Hogan.

Grant’s allegedly traumatic experience with McMahon, Callis said, is “integral to an accurate and full retelling of the story of the WWE and Mr. McMahon,” and “while Janelle didn’t participate in the Netflix docuseries, we hope it shines a light on the abhorrent actions of McMahon, frequently on WWE property, and [that] it portrays the realities of his abusive and exploitative behavior.” Callis also announced that she and Grant had brought on “additional firepower” with the hiring of Kendra Barkoff Lamy and her team at PR firm SKDK. Barkoff Lamy has previously worked with accusers of Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein.

Grant, a former WWE employee, filed her legal complaint against McMahon in January. It alleges that the businessman, famed for wielding his corporate power as a villain in the wrestling ring, coerced her into a sexual relationship after hiring her in 2019, promising career advancement as he emotionally and physically abused her, and sexually assaulted her, including once with John Laurinaitis, then the WWE’s head of talent relations. Grant alleges that McMahon trafficked her for the purposes of other threesomes, shared explicit images of her within and outside the company, and eventually pressured her to sign a nondisclosure agreement to prevent her from talking about his alleged misconduct. McMahon, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has denied the allegations through his attorneys. Laurinaitis and WWE, both named as co-defendants in the suit, have backed McMahon’s denials and did not immediately return requests for comment.
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“Unsurprisingly, others at WWE knew what was going on,” the suit claims. “But instead of intervening to protect Ms. Grant, WWE actively sought to conceal the wrongdoing.” It states that over more than two and a half years in the company and under McMahon’s control, she was “subjected to countless depraved and humiliating acts” that left her with “severe and permanent trauma.” The complaint notes that Grant is not only suing to address her own suffering but “but also to act for those who are afraid to speak out.”

Touted as an “unflinching” look at the controversial executive and wrestling promoter — currently the subject of a Justice Department investigation over allegations of sex trafficking — Mr. McMahon features interviews with McMahon and touches upon Grant’s lawsuit, which saw him forced out of his role as chairman of WWE’s parent company. Grant was reportedly contacted by Netflix’s documentary team about participating in the project but declined to be interviewed.

Addressing her absence from the series, Callis repeatedly said that Grant “deserves the opportunity to tell her full story, not be a part of someone else’s.” The attorney also noted that Grant “would like to expedite all proceedings as quickly as possible.”

Grant agreed in May to pause her suit against McMahon for six months while the DOJ probe, opened in 2022, proceeded. Prosecutors were initially looking into millions in hush money payments McMahon made to several women while the chief executive of WWE to quash potential allegations of sexual misconduct. (McMahon is also married to former Trump cabinet member Linda McMahon, which left him exposed him to potential negative press about alleged affairs; the two co-founded the company that would become WWE.) All the women who received these payments in return for their silence were at one time affiliated with the company, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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In July, Grant also took legal action against a Connecticut physician, Dr. Carlon M. Colker, and his clinic, Peak Wellness, petitioning a state court for access to her medical records there. McMahon allegedly directed Grant to seek treatment from Colker, whose clients include other WWE employees. Her filing claims that Colker refused to tell her what kind of pills and injections he was giving her, even after she experienced adverse effects; that she was sexually abused by an employee of Peak Wellness; and that the clinic later would not provide her with complete and accurate electronic medical records as required by law. (Colker has denied any wrongdoing in the past, and declined to comment to Rolling Stone.) McMahon filed a motion to prevent Grant from obtaining the records, with his attorneys arguing her petition was a violation of the six-month stay on the lawsuit against him, but a judge denied the request.

Callis confirmed that the stay on Grant’s lawsuit, which extends until December, was still in place as of this month. She said that the non-public criminal investigation into McMahon remains active and ongoing. While she and her client are hoping to get the civil case back on track, she added, there is “no frustration” with the pace of the federal inquiry. Referencing her time as a state judge, Callis noted, “I know these things take some time, and we want it to be right, not fast.” As for whether an indictment of McMahon could be forthcoming, Callis said, “It’s possible. We’re hopeful.”