Janel Grant, who filed a civil lawsuit in January against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE, has issued a statement through her spokesperson in response to the resignation announcement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. Grant’s case, which includes allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking during her tenure with WWE, has been stayed since May due to a non-public investigation by the Department of Justice into trafficking allegations against McMahon.
“The stay on Janel Grant’s case will expire on December 11th,” the statement read. “Before he leaves, we hope Damian Williams will hold Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis accountable to the fullest extent of the law for the abuse Janel endured.”
Williams, who will step down as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York on December 13, has presided over numerous high-profile cases, including the prosecutions of Ghislaine Maxwell and Eric Adams. Deputy U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney while President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee, Jay Clayton, awaits confirmation.
The lawsuit, along with historic sexual assault allegations filed by former WWE ring boys in October, has added to McMahon’s legal troubles. McMahon stepped down from his role as Executive Chairman of WWE and TKO in January following the lawsuit but has denied all allegations, calling them “fictitious.”
McMahon, a WWE Hall of Famer and longtime friend of Trump, has yet to address the pending expiration of the stay or its potential implications. With the case moving forward and public scrutiny intensifying, the wrestling world awaits further developments as WWE’s embattled founder faces one of the most pivotal legal battles of his career.