UPDATE: Jessica Rosenberg, attorney for Vince McMahon, has issued the following response to the developments outlined below:
"Today’s dismissal of John Laurinaitis as a defendant doesn’t alter the facts of this case in any way. Vince McMahon never mistreated Janel Grant. No matter how many press releases her team issues, the truth remains unchanged. As Mr. Laurinaitis’s lawyer previously said: ‘Mr. Laurinaitis corroborates Mr. McMahon in publicly declaring that Ms. Grant’s allegations of sexual abuse and coercion in her Complaint are completely unfounded.'"
While Vince McMahon is no longer facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually abusing and trafficking former WWE employee Janel Grant, the civil case rolls on, and she now appears to be on the cusp of having her day in court.
The billionaire appears unwilling to settle and maintains his innocence, so if this lawsuit does reach the courtroom, McMahon is going to come under a level of scrutiny he's not used to. However, the former WWE Chairman has never been one to back down, even after a seemingly forced retirement and his eventual departure from WWE when the company was sold to Endeavor.
There's been another huge development today as John Laurinaitis, who faced many of the same sexual misconduct allegations as McMahon, has agreed to provide Grant with evidence as part of a confidential settlement.
Yes, Laurinaitis has turned on WWE and his longtime friend to save himself. Unlike McMahon, he's neither elderly nor a billionaire, and has much more to lose. With that in mind, this news isn't hugely surprising.
By providing Grant with this currently undisclosed evidence, the case will likely be strengthened against McMahon. Assuming it's text messages and the like, much more could still come out with regards to what these two were reportedly involved with while allegedly conducting bizarre and often sadistic sexual relationships with female WWE employees.
"John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE," reads the joint statement from their respective lawyers. "His agreement to a confidential settlement is a pivotal next step toward holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking. Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life."
The remaining defendants, McMahon and WWE, are expected to file motions by June 13 to move the case to private arbitration. If that happens, then we won't learn any more details about what happened. Considering the first wave of allegations includes claims that McMahon defecated on this woman's head during sex, that's surely for the best.
As always, stay tuned for more on this developing story as we have it.