John Laurinaitis Responds To Janel Grant WWE Lawsuit Before The Court

Since news first emerged in January that former WWE employee Janel Grant had filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE, alleging sex trafficking and abuse against McMahon and Laurinaitis, things have moved slowly with the case as a trial awaits. At least one domino fell this week, however, thanks in part to Laurinaitis.

PWInsider reports that Laurinanitis filed a waiver with the US District Court of Connecticut on Wednesday, effectively serving as his response to Grant's lawsuit. Laurinaitis' filing makes clear he is aware of Grant's lawsuit, that he will not need to be served regarding the suit, and that he will be responding to it within the next 60 days, starting from March 15.

As a result of his filing, Laurinanitis becomes the first of those named in the lawsuit to respond to Grant's claims, as McMahon and WWE have yet to legally acknowledge the lawsuit. While McMahon had issued a denial to Grant's accusations upon his resignation from WWE in January, Laurinanitis has been the most vocal party amongst the defendants. Through his attorney, Laurinanitis denied the allegations in February, though he also corroborated some of Grant's details, and suggested that, like Grant, he was a victim, not a predator.

It remains unclear when either WWE or McMahon will issue a similar response acknowledging Grant's lawsuit, which would then put things in motion regarding an eventual start date for a trial. The lawsuit is only one problem for McMahon in the situation, as the former WWE Chairman is also being investigated by the federal government regarding Grant's accusations and past NDAs McMahon agreed to with former WWE employees/talent.