New court documents in Vince McMahon lawsuit claim sexual abuse by therapist
Note: This article contains explicit details about sexual abuse, which may be distressing for some readers or survivors of sexual assault.
Correction/clarification: A prior version of this article mistakenly characterized the legal filing by Janel Grant related to her medical treatment allegations. It is actually a legal response opposing the defendants’ motion to dismiss the case.
The former WWE staff member suing Vince McMahon, the company’s founder, on charges of sex trafficking and assault has submitted new legal documents, claiming a doctor was pressured by McMahon to administer undetermined medications, and that staff at the doctor’s office participated in the alleged abuse.
Janel Grant filed this document in Connecticut on Tuesday, requesting “records and testimony relevant to the medical care” she received from Dr. Carlon Colker at his clinic, Peak Wellness, according to YSL News Sports. This filing opposes the defendants’ attempts to dismiss the case.
Previously, in August, Grant sought to obtain her medical records from Colker. Ann Callis, her attorney, stated that McMahon facilitated Grant’s visits to Colker and wanted all correspondence between the two. Initially, Colker and Peak Wellness submitted a formal response opposing Grant’s petition, claiming it constituted a “smear campaign” against WWE and caused Colker emotional distress. This complaint was later rescinded.
According to the latest briefing, McMahon and Colker allegedly “made considerable efforts to prevent Ms. Grant from obtaining these documents pertaining to her own medical care.”
Court documents allege that McMahon “actively arranged, encouraged, and insisted” that Grant receive treatment by Colker from November 2019 to April 2022. It is claimed that there were at least 60 visits to Colker or another provider during this period, with McMahon directly communicating with Colker.
The filing also describes the alleged efforts by McMahon, Colker, and Peak Wellness to block Grant’s access to her medical records and related communications. Grant reportedly received incomplete and incorrect medical records.
Furthermore, Grant’s legal team claims that Colker repeatedly treated her with unknown substances and that an employee at Peak Wellness was involved in the sexual abuse orchestrated by McMahon. A specific incident involving a physical therapist was noted when Grant’s lawsuit was initiated in January, though it did not specify the employee’s workplace or role.
“Consider being in a vulnerable state and having the doctor you’re directed to only exacerbate your suffering,” Callis remarked. “Our filing today clearly indicates that Dr. Colker breached ethical and medical standards by administering unidentified substances to Janel and instructing her to take unlabeled pills while disregarding her fundamental inquiries about these medications. Peak Wellness must provide Janel Grant with answers, and the clinic’s secrecy and evasiveness need to end.”
What does Janel Grant want in her complaint against Dr. Carlon Colker?
Grant is requesting:
- All of her electronic medical records.
- Colker and Peak Wellness’ recordkeeping and billing procedures.
- Payment history related to her treatments.
- Details of payment agreements between Colker and McMahon and/or WWE.
- Clarification on the purpose of her prescribed treatments.
- The substances used in her prescribed treatments.
- Any communication between Colker and McMahon regarding her care.
- Colker’s involvement in suggesting her attorney for negotiating the alleged non-disclosure agreement.
YSL News Sports has contacted an attorney for McMahon, Peak Wellness, and TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE.
Recent news on the Vince McMahon lawsuit
The lawsuit against WWE, McMahon, and the former head of talent relations, John Laurinaitis, was initiated in January. However, the proceedings are currently on hold as the U.S. Department of Justice conducts its own investigation. Grant’s legal team has yet to receive updates on this federal probe but hopes it will move swiftly to allow her lawsuit to advance.
The Netflix docuseries “Mr. McMahon,” which detailed the rise and controversies of the WWE founder, did not cover the lawsuit, stating McMahon had canceled interviews preceding any recent legal actions.
Last week, Callis urged WWE to permit both current and former employees to break non-disclosure agreements so they can share their experiences about sexual misconduct, sexual assault, harassment, workplace aggression, and the toxic culture present in WWE.