It’s been more than a month since the lawsuit accusing WWE founder Vince McMahon of sexual abuse and sex-trafficking was first filed, and the fallout for the company is still being felt.
According to a new report from Tim Marchman, John Pollock, and Brandon Thurston at Front Office Sports on that lawsuit, current WWE president Nick Khan and chief operating officer Brad Blum have been identified as two key figures in the lawsuit. While neither Khan nor Blum are accused of participating in or being aware of the alleged sexual misconduct against the former employee suing McMahon, former head of talent relations John Laurinaitis and WWE, both are alleged to have been instrumental in the scheme in which the woman was employed “in a completely undefined role, except for the understanding that she remain a sexual slave to be used and trafficked by McMahon within the WWE.”
Neither Khan nor Blum were named in the lawsuit, but were instead identified as “Corporate Officers No. 1 and No. 2,” respectively. Ann Callis, the lawyer for the accuser who has previously publicly identified herself as Janel Grant, confirmed to Front Office Sports that the identities were correct.
“WWE takes Ms. Grant’s allegations very seriously and has no tolerance for any physical abuse or unwanted physical contact,” a WWE spokesperson told Front Office Sports in a statement. “Neither Nick Khan nor Brad Blum, prior to the lawsuit being filed on January 25, 2024, were aware of any allegation by Ms. Grant that she was the victim of abuse or unwanted physical contact; nor does the complaint allege that either had knowledge of such.”
In addition to Khan and Blum, Front Office Sports has identified former WWE interim CEO Stephanie McMahon — McMahon’s daughter — as “Corporate Officer No. 3,” who is referenced just once in the lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Stephanie McMahon is described as having knowledge “of other instances of [Vince] McMahon engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct.”
While Khan and Blum aren’t named as defendants in the lawsuit, their alleged knowledge of Vince McMahon’s relationship with Grant and roles in her employment are certainly notable. Khan, in particular, has been the top WWE executive since the company’s merger with UFC to form TKO Group Holdings, and his status as one of public business faces of the company has only grown since Vince McMahon’s resignation following the lawsuit in June.
Front Office Sports also identified former general counsel and head of WWE’s legal department Brian Nurse as “Corporate Officer No. 4” in the lawsuit. Acting on behalf of McMahon, Nurse was allegedly involved in helping hiring Grant for a role she was unqualified for in WWE’s legal department.
The lawsuit does not make it clear whether any of the corporate officers were aware of any of the alleged acts of sexual violence and/or degrading behavior Grant has alleged against McMahon and Laurinaitis.
In addition to the lawsuit filed by Grant, the federal government is also investigating the claims against McMahon. The 78-year-old McMahon has called the claims against him “baseless,” while Laurinatis has reportedly denied any wrongdoing, referring to himself as a victim and not a predator in the matter.
