Lawyers for Vince McMahon, WWE and the woman suing the former WWE chairman have filed a joint motion asking a court to move the sexual assault case into arbitration. The request, made by all sides at once, would shift the high-profile dispute out of the public courtroom and into a private process.
The woman behind the lawsuit, Janel Grant, worked for WWE between 2019 and 2022. According to her claims, it was during those years that she suffered what she describes as repeated sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of McMahon, allegations that have hung over both the wrestling executive and the company he long led.
For his part, McMahon has denied the allegations. He has maintained his position even as the case has drawn intense public attention, given his decades as one of the most recognizable figures in professional wrestling and the public face of WWE.
The legal fight has already had consequences for McMahon's role at the company. He stepped down from WWE when the suit was filed, a move that came about two years ago and marked a dramatic turn for an executive who had been synonymous with the organization for much of his career.
Now, with all parties jointly requesting arbitration, the path of the case could change significantly. Arbitration would resolve the dispute through a private, out-of-court process rather than a public trial, a route that tends to keep the proceedings and many of their details away from public view.
The joint nature of the motion is notable, since it means the accuser and the defendants are aligned, at least on this procedural question of where the case should be heard. The court will now have to weigh the request as the long-running dispute between Grant, McMahon and WWE moves into its next phase.