Janel Grant to receive award from Connecticut advocacy organization
This September, Janel Grant — the former WWE employee who has an ongoing lawsuit against Vince McMahon and the company — will receive an award from a Connecticut-based advocacy organization.
The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence has announced Grant as one of their Advocacy in Action Award winners for 2026. Grant has worked with the organization to share her story of allegedly being abused by McMahon and the mental toll the situation, including the non-disclosure agreement at the center of her lawsuit, has taken on her.
In their announcement, the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence called Grant an “incredibly kind, empathetic, and brave woman” who is using her voice to advocate for legislation that would change how NDAs are used to silence survivors:
- Congratulations to Janel Grant, one of our 2026 Advocacy in Action Award Winners!
- Janel is a survivor of workplace sexual assault and trafficking who was silenced by a nondisclosure agreement she was forced to enter into with a CT corporation. Since then, she has been instrumental in advocating for the passage of legislation to limit the use of NDAs when they silence survivors, using advocacy to frame NDA reform as a matter of supporting and protecting human rights.
- Janel is an incredibly kind, empathetic, and brave woman who believes in the power of being the light you want to see and in people showing up for one another. She is committed to developing a new framework that establishes standards for effectively addressing the complex intersections of power dynamics, coercive control, and mental health.
- We can’t wait to honor her at this fall’s Annual Breakfast. Make plans to join us on September 11!
Grant posted her own statement thanking the organization for this honor and the life-saving work they do:
- These are my heroes. Thank you @endsexualviolence_ct. The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence has helped me and countless other survivors. The Alliance is the state’s coalition of community-based sexual assault crisis service centers, working to increase and protect the rights of survivors while ensuring access to comprehensive, trauma-informed care. Their services save lives. They saved mine. I’m committed to paying it forward and supporting others like they have supported me.
- I look forward to standing alongside you in celebration and solidarity in September!
Status of Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE —
Grant’s lawsuit accuses McMahon of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. In the wake of its filing in early 2024, McMahon resigned from WWE and its parent company TKO Group.
More than two years later, the lawsuit appears to be getting closer to its resolution with the sides working on an agreement that would move it to private arbitration.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.