The fallout from Janel Grant’s ongoing lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon has sparked another strong reaction, this time from former WWE performer Shelly Martinez.
Janel Grant recently delivered an emotional speech at a Capitol news briefing, addressing the mental health impact of being publicly identified in 2022 and criticising the use of non-disclosure agreements in workplace misconduct cases. However, during a recent edition of the Too Much Information podcast, former WWE valet Shelly Martinez challenged Grant’s characterisation of events and made it clear she does not see the situation as one-sided.
“I have such an opinion on Janel Grant because even though it sucks, she probably is effed up and always will be over the different things that she went through,” Martinez said, before pivoting to her central argument.
Martinez framed the alleged relationship as transactional rather than coercive, arguing that individuals in the entertainment industry often understand what certain opportunities may entail.
“You know, the assignment, and there are times that I lost opportunities or couldn’t level up in my career because I didn’t take a certain path. Everyone has their own story. Everyone has their own limits. Everyone has their own reasons.”
She went further, suggesting that Grant knowingly entered into an arrangement.
“I get Janel Grant and where she’s coming from. But I’m here to say it’s a choice, and she chose to have this arrangement with Vince McMahon. She chose to go through certain things to get what she wanted at the end of the day.”
Martinez described the dynamic as a negotiated exchange that escalated over time.
“It was very clear: you get X, Y, and Z, and this is what you have to do for it if you want to continue to have this thing. It’s a deal. It’s a transaction.”
She also expressed frustration with what she perceives as Grant portraying herself as a victim, contrasting the situation with cases of non-consensual abuse.
“What is here and there is that she is playing victim. And then, where it really makes me mad, there are people out there who did not consent. Real victims… They did not consent. They get taken advantage of against their will.”
Shelly Martinez Says Her Views On Janel Grant Could Change
Shelly Martinez added that her view could change if Janel Grant publicly clarified where she believes any alleged arrangement crossed a line.
“If she were to come forward and be like, ‘Look, I had this arrangement with him… but then this happened, and this is what my issue is,’ that would change the entire story for me.”
Grant’s lawsuit against McMahon and WWE remains ongoing. Neither McMahon nor WWE has admitted wrongdoing, and the case continues to move through the legal process.
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