Vince McMahon and WWE have filed an appeal in an attempt to prevent Janel Grant from discovering new evidence as part of the ongoing lawsuit against the company and its former Chairman.
As reported by Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling, the latest filing submitted on Monday June 30 saw Grant’s request challenged with the argument that the plaintiff failed to meet the legal standard for pre-arbitration discovery. Furthermore, Grant has been accused of seeking documents unrelated to the question of whether she signed the NDA while under duress.
As part of the filing, a statement was provided from McMahon’s legal team:
“The Court should refuse to indulge Plaintiff’s [Grant’s] improper fishing expedition and deny the Motion in full,”
WWE’s filing also contains multiple statements regarding the case, first stating that Grant has not alleged sufficient facts:
“Grant is not entitled to motion-related discovery,” WWE’s attorneys from the Paul Weiss firm wrote. “She has entirely failed to allege sufficient facts calling into question the validity of the arbitration provision.”
Later in their filing, WWE referenced the arbitration clause, stating that Grant has failed to provide evidence that she was under duress when the NDA was signed:
“Grant’s document requests are a transparent attempt to circumvent the Court’s stay order,” WWE’s counsel continued, “and initiate full merits discovery before the Court is able to decide Defendants’ motions to compel arbitration.”
“Grant has failed to present any allegations, let alone ‘reliable evidence,’” WWE stated, “that she did not intend to be bound by the arbitration provision or that the agreement to arbitrate was induced by fraud or duress.”
In a statement issued to POST Wrestling following the filing, Grant’s representatives stated that WWE and McMahon are attempting to block basic discovery requests “that go [to] the heart of whether the NDA and its arbitration clause are valid.” The team also added, “If they have nothing to hide, they should embrace this opportunity for transparency.”
What Has Janel Grant Requested As Part Of Vince McMahon And WWE Lawsuit?
Grant submitted the lawsuit against McMahon, WWE and former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis in January 2024, which accused McMahon of sexual assault and trafficking while also implicating Laurinaitis and claiming that WWE were aware of what was happening. The lawsuit resulted in McMahon’s resignation later that week. Grant is still looking to take the case to trial, while the defendants claim that it should be handled behind closed doors per the terms of the NDA that was signed.
Featured image: WWE
