Warning: This article contains descriptions of alleged sexual violence by Vince McMahon and John Laurinitis that may not be suitable for all readers.
This past week, The Wall Street Journal released an article detailing many of the horrifying allegations former WWE employee Janel Grant leveled against Vince McMahon. Grant alleges that McMahon groomed her to be sex trafficked to fellow WWE executives and stars, with John Laurinitis and Brock Lesnar both named. While she alleges McMahon attempted to set up a date for her and Lesnar to have sex due to weather and other excuses she came up with; the encounter did not occur. Laurinitis, on the other hand, she claims, did engage with sex with her on a regular basis and, at one point, locked her in a room with him and McMahon so that they could assault her.
Laurinitis is married to the mother of former WWE stars Nikki and Brie Garcia, aka The Bella Twins, Kathy. As of the writing of this post, she maintains his last name on Instagram, and the two still appear to be together. Brie is married to AEW star and former WWE World Champion Bryan Danielson, making Laurinitis Danielson’s step-father-in-law.
In light of the allegations against McMahon and their proximity to Laurinities, Nikki, and Brie have released the following statement on social media.
“We are shocked and disheartened with the recent allegations against members of the WWE,” they begin. “It has been a lot to process since we found out this past week just as you all did. This is something we don’t stand for or condone from anyone no matter who they are. We want all women to feel safe and support in the workplace and in their everyday lives.”
Nikki and Brie are both former WWE Divas Champions and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020. They have previously appeared in the E! and WWE-produced series Total Divas and Total Bellas. Nikki currently hosts Barmageddon, which regularly airs after WWE Raw.
If you or someone you know is dealing with sexual harassment or abuse, please visit online.rainn.org to chat one-on-one with a trained RAINN support specialist, any time, 24/7.