The combat sport ecosystem recognises Brock Lesnar as one of the best in business. He is a multiple time WWE World Champion and the first man to break Undertaker's glorious streak at WrestleMania. Apart from many other accolades in WWE, what makes Lesnar more prolific is his gold at the UFC. Although brief but Lesnar does have the bragging rights of being a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, claiming the title in just his third fight against Randy Couture.
Despite the rich CV, Lesnar is no longer the most beloved persona among fans. And going by the buzz, many vehemently opposed his return to WWE on Night 2 of SummerSlam 2025 due to his alleged involvement in the sexual trafficking case filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant.
Before we move ahead, take a look at a few reactions:
What is the federal lawsuit that Brock Lesnar has been named in?
Former WWE employee Janel Grant, who worked in the company's legal and talent departments, had filed a federal lawsuit against the company and former executive Vince McMahon in January 2024. She alleged that McMahon, who is not new to controversy, forced her into sexual favours to keep her job. In her lawsuit, Grant mentioned she was “the victim of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking at WWE”.
In addition, the suit also claimed that McMahon distributed sexual images and videos of her to numerous people, which included fellow WWE employees.
Why is Brock Lesnar's name in the lawsuit?
Brock Lesnar was originally not named in the lawsuit. However, it did mention that Vince had demanded Grant to create a "personalised sexual content" to sign a former WWE and UFC champion, which was an indirect reference towards Lesnar.
After over a year, filed an amended complaint in the US District Court in which she identified Lesnar.
What was Vince McMahon's response to the ammended complaint?
Vince McMahon, who stepped down from his role at the WWE and parent company TKO following the allegations, labeled it as "publicity stunt".
"As expected, the proposed amended complaint is nothing more than the latest publicity stunt in an ongoing smear campaign," McMahon attorney Jessica Rosenberg said in a statement. "It is filled with desperate falsehoods from a team that continues to disregard the law and the truth."
WWE on Brock Lesnar's return amid lawsuit
As the investigation is still underway, it'll be interesting to see what unfolds next. But when asked to Triple H about Lesnar's return at the post show following Night 2 of SummerSlam, the WWE COO said it was John Cena who wanted him to feature in his "Retirement Tour".
"You know you have a finite number of dates on John Cena. You have a finite number of matches and big moments, and incredible things you wanna do. And you wanna get to a majority of them. You can't get to do everything, but as I said in the beginning, this is John Cena's wish list. It's him writing the last chapter of his book."
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
