A story in today’s Front Office Sports is identifying the previously unnamed individuals within the January 2024 complaint by Janel Grant against the WWE, Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis.
The publication reports those people to be:
WWE Corporate Officer No. 1: Nick Khan
WWE Corporate Officer No. 2: Brad Blum
WWE Corporate Officer No. 3: Stephanie McMahon
WWE Corporate Officer No. 4: Brian Nurse
In the filing:
WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 (Khan) is described as: “A high-ranking employee and Board member at WWE during Ms. Grant’s employment with WWE. WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 continued to work in high-ranking positions in connection with the September 12, 2023, merger.”
WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 (Blum) is described as: “A high-ranking employee at WWE who made hiring decisions, conducted prospective employee interviews, and maintained significant control over personnel decisions. WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 worked in these capacities during Ms. Grant’s employment with WWE.”
WWE Corporate Officer No. 3: (McMahon) is described as: “A high-ranking employee and/or Board member during Ms. Grant’s employment with WWE.”
WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 (Brian Nurse) is described as: “A high-ranking employee at WWE who worked with legal affairs at the company. WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 held that position from the time of Ms. Grant’s initial employment with WWE until sometime in 2020.”
Grant’s attorney told and revealed to Front Office Sports: “Yes, I can confirm that these names are correct.”
Here is what is claimed about all four WWE officials in Grant’s complaint:
WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and 2: Nick Khan and Brad Blum
Grant accuses them of facilitating and covering up her exploitation by McMahon.
“McMahon instructed Ms. Grant that she should not go back to the office and immediately lessen her involvement on open work items. Ms. Grant expressed concerns about both her name being mentioned in the media and the loss of control over her image, especially as McMahon had shared content of her for close to two years, and the ramifications for her career. McMahon suggested that he would attempt to help keep Ms. Grant’s reputation intact, and that he or WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 would personally help Ms. Grant to find another job.”
“On March 2, 2022, while Ms. Grant was away on a trip to Florida, McMahon called Ms. Grant to advised that it would probably be the last time she would hear from him and, if she needed anything, to contact WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 or WWE Corporate Officer No. 2.”
“In or around March 2021, Ms. Grant introduced herself to WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 when they passed one another in the hallway. WWE Corporate Officer
No. 1 responded by telling Ms. Grant that WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 knew exactly who she was.”
“Given that WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 a very high-ranking WWE officer and Ms. Grant was an entry-level coordinator in the legal department, it is unusual that WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 would know who Ms. Grant was at all at that point, except WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 knew of Ms. Grant at least in part by hearing about the ongoing exploitation of Ms. Grant by McMahon.”
“Following Ms. Grant’s messages to McMahon on March 9, 2021, McMahon summoned Ms. Grant to his condo that evening for a conversation during which McMahon confirmed that WWE Corporate Officer No. 1, indeed, knew exactly who she was, as McMahon had met privately with WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 and advised these individuals of McMahon’s connection to Ms. Grant.”
“McMahon continued this conversation by detailing to Ms. Grant that they had expressed concern but were ultimately supportive. McMahon also advised Ms. Grant that one or both of WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and/or WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 inquired whether Ms. Grant could be trusted, and that McMahon offered assurances that Ms. Grant would not do something to hurt the WWE.”
“Knowledge on the part of WWE is further illustrated by the multiple meetings Ms. Grant had about initial hiring and subsequent position changes, including a number of such meetings with WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 and a voice memo McMahon sent Ms. Grant the following morning, on March 10, mentioning the names of both WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 in connection with the new role. It’s unusual for the Executive Chairman and CEO to name-drop two of the company’s highest-ranking officers in connection with a coordinator’s first job promotion—especially as there are Human Resources partners assigned to each department.”
“WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 continued to assist in maintaining a position at WWE, as well as advancement opportunities, for Ms. Grant after being told of McMahon’s relations with her. Upon further information and belief, other employees were forced to resign or were let go if they knew of McMahon’s exploits and failed to assist, support and/or facilitate them, such as former WWE employee, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4.”
WWE Corporate Officer No. 3 (Stephanie McMahon)
Interacted with Grant during an executive meeting and Grant insists that Stephanie is aware of her father’s conduct.
“Additionally, WWE Corporate Officer No. 3, another high-ranking WWE official and member of the WWE Board of Directors at the time of Ms. Grant’s employment with WWE, motioned for Ms. Grant to sit in a chair near WWE Corporate Officer No. 3 at the Boardroom Table during one of the meetings. Upon information and belief, WWE Corporate Officer No. 3 knew of other instances of McMahon engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct.”
WWE Corporate Officer No. 4: (Brian Nurse)
Hired Grant and suspected all was not as it appeared.
“On May 11, 2019, McMahon invited Ms. Grant to his condo again and asked her to lay in bed with him before informing her that he had ordered WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 to offer her the job, even though a job description had not been firmed up beyond a high-level summary.”
“Based on her hiring alone, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was on notice that there was something different about Ms. Grant; namely, her connection to McMahon. As Ms. Grant feared (and had expressed to McMahon), she was unhappy that a spotlight was unnecessarily put on her before she ever set foot in the office. Ms. Grant immediately noticed that WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was warm with other colleagues but cold towards her.”
“WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was a high-ranking legal department employee at WWE until around November 2020. Upon information and belief, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was terminated or asked to resign from WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s post at WWE. McMahon expressed to Ms. Grant that WWE Corporate Officer No. 4, while still employed at WWE, knew or highly suspected that a sexual relationship existed between McMahon and Ms. Grant. Upon information and belief, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 articulated WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s knowledge and/or suspicion to at least one other executive.”
“Beginning in July 2019, after Ms. Grant raised an issue related to XFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug Policy with McMahon, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s behavior shifted from cold to actively hostile. If Ms. Grant walked into a room while WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 was laughing with colleagues, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s expression immediately became blank and WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 would walk away. If WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 and Ms. Grant walked towards each other in a hallway, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4 stopped and changed directions.”
“In March 2021, WWE had still not hired a replacement after WWE Corporate Officer No. 4’s termination in November 2020. On March 9, 2021, McMahon informed Ms. Grant, still an entry-level coordinator, that top executives in the Company knew about their relationship and that her presence in the legal department was effectively delaying the Company’s efforts to hire a new replacement for this high ranking official, reinforcing the fact that many within the Company were well aware of the circumstances detailed herein.”
“Upon information and belief, other WWE employees benefited financially in helping to assist, support and facilitate the commercial sex acts of McMahon in that WWE’s culture revolved around trust relationships, increased status with McMahon and prioritizing the protection of the company. For instance, both WWE Corporate Officer No. 1 and WWE Corporate Officer No. 2 continued to assist in maintaining a position at WWE, as well as advancement opportunities, for Ms. Grant after being told of McMahon’s relations with her. Upon further information and belief, other employees were forced to resign or were let go if they knew of McMahon’s exploits and failed to assist, support and/or facilitate them, such as former WWE employee, WWE Corporate Officer No. 4.”
TOP PHOTO: Left to right, Stephanie McMahon, Brian Nurse, Brad Blum, Nick Khan
