Vince McMahon, WWE & Janel Grant reach arbitration agreement; Grant set to withdraw lawsuit
(Courtesy : WWE)
The long-running legal battle will move out of public court and into private arbitration after all parties reached a formal agreement
The civil lawsuit filed by Janel Grant against Vince McMahon and WWE has entered a significant new phase, with both sides agreeing to resolve the dispute through private arbitration rather than continuing in federal court.
The development follows a ruling by a Connecticut judge last month approving arbitration. As part of the agreement, the lawsuit will be voluntarily dismissed within the next five business days, although the underlying claims and defenses will continue to be addressed in arbitration.
A joint status report submitted to the court confirmed that all remaining parties have formally agreed to proceed with the arbitration process.
Court filing confirms arbitration agreement between Vince McMahon and Janel Grant
In the filing, Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis, outlined the agreement reached between the parties.
“Pursuant to the Court’s July 13, 2026 order, ECF No. 151, Plaintiff Janel Grant, Defendant World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC, and Defendant Vincent K. McMahon (together, the ‘Parties’) jointly report that the Parties have executed an agreement to arbitrate their dispute.”
The filing further explained what will happen next.
“Pursuant to that agreement, within five business days, Plaintiff shall execute and cause to be filed a Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal with Prejudice causing the action to be dismissed in its entirety, as to both remaining defendants, but without prejudice to the Parties’ rights to pursue their claims and defenses in arbitration.”
Although the court case will be dismissed, the agreement does not resolve the dispute itself. Instead, both sides will continue presenting their respective claims and defenses in a private arbitration setting.
McMahon’s legal team had long sought arbitration, citing a clause contained in a non-disclosure agreement Grant signed with McMahon in 2022.
Grant’s attorneys previously argued that the agreement should not be enforced because it was signed under duress. It remains unclear what prompted Grant’s legal team to ultimately agree to arbitration.
The landmark lawsuit reshaped WWE
Grant originally filed the lawsuit in January 2024 against Vince McMahon, WWE and former executive John Laurinaitis.
The complaint included allegations of sex trafficking and sexual abuse against McMahon, along with claims involving WWE. Over the following two years, additional allegations became public, including claims concerning what certain WWE executives allegedly knew about the situation, as well as allegations involving Brock Lesnar. Laurinaitis was later dismissed from the lawsuit.
Following the filing of the lawsuit, McMahon resigned as TKO Executive Chairman and has not appeared on WWE programming since.
Meanwhile, Grant has gradually become more active publicly throughout 2026. She has used social media to advocate for survivors of sexual assault and to raise awareness about the challenges victims often face while pursuing justice.
One of her most recent public statements came roughly three weeks ago, when she alleged on Instagram that sexually explicit images of her had been shared with WWE board members during a 2022 internal investigation without her consent.
With the arbitration agreement now finalized, one of the most closely watched legal cases involving WWE will move away from the public courtroom. While the federal lawsuit is set to be dismissed, the dispute itself remains unresolved and will now continue behind closed doors through arbitration.
Why is the Janel Grant lawsuit being dismissed?
The lawsuit is being dismissed because all remaining parties have agreed to resolve the dispute through private arbitration instead of continuing in federal court.
Does the arbitration agreement end Janel Grant’s claims?
No. The court case will be dismissed, but Grant’s claims and the defendants’ defenses will continue to be addressed during arbitration.
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