Vince McMahon to blame for WWE’s ‘culture of corruption,’ attorney for former employee says

A new documentary about the rise and fall of World Wrestling Entertainment’s Vince McMahon debuted on Netflix early Wednesday, and it’s eliciting a variety of emotions from one of his accusers.

The six-part “Mr. McMahon” features interviews with McMahon and touches on controversies that have plagued his decadeslong career. They include accusations of sex trafficking by Janel Grant, a former WWE employee who accused McMahon in a civil suit in January of forcing her into a sexual relationship in exchange for a job.

“I think she’s fearful, but that is her general state of mind,” said Ann Callis, who is Grant’s attorney. “She’s been fearful since she’s been sex trafficked.”

Callis said Grant, who did not participate in the documentary but whose story is featured, has yet to watch the series.

“Not having any control over what is said about her does instill some fear … but you know, she’s surviving,” she said.

As for why she’s not in the series, “Janel thinks she needs to tell her story in her own way and at the right time for her. She’s not a WWE storyline. She wants to take ownership of her own story, and I think she deserves the dignity of that,” Callis said.

Grant agreed to pause her civil case in May, pending a federal investigation by the Southern District of New York. NBC News has reported that WWE disclosed last year that investigators served McMahon with a federal grand jury subpoena and executed a search warrant.

McMahon did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement ahead of the documentary’s release, he said producers used “typical editing tricks” to “support a deception narrative.” He said he hoped viewers would “remember that there are two sides to every story.” 

Grant’s lawsuit also alleged that she was assaulted by WWE executive John Laurinaitis, who has denied the accusation. His attorneys have said they would “be vigorously defending these charges in court, not the media.”

Callis said her firm is investigating other potential claims against McMahon and WWE.

“If I could sum it up generally, it is a culture of corruption,” Callis said. “There is a culture of victimization of women. We’ve heard from women and men that there wasn’t really a safety net there. It was Vince’s show.”

McMahon became a household name after he co-founded the $8 billion business empire that paved the way for Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other superstars.

They are also included in the docuseries.

The series also addresses other allegations, including accusations that former WWE referee Rita Chatterton was sexually assaulted in 1986.

“Once you’re accused of rape, you’re a rapist,” McMahon says in the docuseries. “But it was consensual. And actually, had it been a rape, the statute of limitations had run out. So it’s all kind of crap like that that people are digging up and trying to find on you.”