A lawsuit against WWE Founder Vince McMahon accusing the billionaire of sexual trafficking has reportedly been paused following a request from the Justice Department, marking the latest development in the department’s investigation into McMahon and the sexual assault and sexual trafficking allegations against him.
McMahon has denied the allegations against him. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Janel Grant, the former WWE employee who filed the suit against McMahon, agreed to pause the case for six months pending the federal investigation, her attorney said in a statement to multiple outlets Friday.
The Justice Department has not publicly commented on the details of the probe, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The investigation began in 2022, when the WWE’s board investigated hush money payments McMahon made to women who accused him of sexual assault, and has involved prosecutors contacting McMahon’s accusers, according to the Journal.
McMahon was served with a federal search warrant and a grand jury subpoena last July, according to a regulatory filing, which noted the WWE also received demands for relevant documents.
Federal agents searched McMahon’s phone while the subpoena he was issued requested documents related to allegations of “rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment or discrimination,” the Journal reported.
Grant and other women, including a former WWE wrestler, referee and employee, were named in the subpoena.
McMahon has not been formally charged or accused of a crime by federal prosecutors and has repeatedly denied the claims against him.
Grant’s lawyer and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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The timeline of the investigation is still unknown, as the Justice Department has yet to provide an update on its findings.
We estimate McMahon’s net worth at $2.9 billion as of Friday, up $200 million from his net worth last year.
McMahon notified the Securities and Exchange Commission in March he will sell more than five million shares of TKO stock worth $412 million. Following the sale, the WWE founder will own around 15 million shares in TKO, the parent company of the WWE and UFC.
McMahon, who sold the WWE to Endeavor Group in a $21 billion merger last year, is no longer working as the combined company’s executive chairman. He stepped down from the role after Grant sued him, accusing him of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. The billionaire also stepped down from his executive role within the WWE in 2022 after he was accused of making hush money payments to Grant to cover up an alleged affair. He later rejoined the company after it investigated the payments and removed three board members in the process. Grant’s sexual abuse and sex trafficking lawsuit against McMahon is one of multiple misconduct allegations directed toward him since the 1990s, all of which he has denied.
Vince McMahon Selling $412 Million Worth Of TKO Shares—The WWE Founder’s Latest Stock Sell-Off (Forbes)