A brand new documentary concerning the rise and fall of World Wrestling Entertainment’s Vince McMahon debuted on Netflix early Wednesday, and it is eliciting quite a lot of feelings from one in every of his accusers.
The six-part “Mr. McMahon” options interviews with McMahon and touches on controversies which have plagued his decadeslong profession. They embrace accusations of intercourse trafficking by Janel Grant, a former WWE worker who accused McMahon in a civil swimsuit in January of forcing her right into a sexual relationship in trade for a job.
“I feel she’s fearful, however that’s her normal frame of mind,” mentioned Ann Callis, who’s Grant’s legal professional. “She’s been fearful since she’s been intercourse trafficked.”
Callis mentioned Grant, who didn’t take part within the documentary however whose story is featured, has but to look at the collection.
“Not having any management over what is alleged about her does instill some concern … however you recognize, she’s surviving,” she mentioned.
As for why she’s not within the collection, “Janel thinks she wants to inform her story in her personal means and on the proper time for her. She’s not a WWE storyline. She desires to take possession of her personal story, and I feel she deserves the dignity of that,” Callis mentioned.
Grant agreed to pause her civil case in May, pending a federal investigation by the Southern District of New York. NBC News has reported that WWE disclosed final 12 months that investigators served McMahon with a federal grand jury subpoena and executed a search warrant.
McMahon didn’t reply to a request for remark. In an announcement forward of the documentary’s launch, he mentioned producers used “typical enhancing methods” to “assist a deception narrative.” He mentioned he hoped viewers would “keep in mind that there are two sides to each story.”
Grant’s lawsuit additionally alleged that she was assaulted by WWE govt John Laurinaitis, who has denied the accusation. His attorneys have mentioned they might “be vigorously defending these fees in court docket, not the media.”
Callis mentioned her agency is investigating different potential claims in opposition to McMahon and WWE.
“If I may sum it up typically, it’s a tradition of corruption,” Callis mentioned. “There is a tradition of victimization of ladies. We’ve heard from ladies and men that there wasn’t actually a security internet there. It was Vince’s present.”
McMahon grew to become a family identify after he co-founded the $8 billion enterprise empire that paved the way in which for Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and different superstars.
They are additionally included within the docuseries.
The collection additionally addresses different allegations, together with accusations that former WWE referee Rita Chatterton was sexually assaulted in 1986.
“Once you’re accused of rape, you’re a rapist,” McMahon says within the docuseries. “But it was consensual. And truly, had it been a rape, the statute of limitations had run out. So it’s all type of crap like that that persons are digging up and looking for on you.”