Janel Grant, the former WWE employee who filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking, will speak at a Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence event on Thursday, February 19 at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Connecticut.

Grant will be joined by fellow survivor Alex Brown. According to a press release from the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the event will feature Grant and Brown sharing their lived experiences alongside advocates, state leaders, and policymakers urging legislative action.

The event centers on reforming state NDA laws to prevent the use of confidentiality provisions that silence survivors of sexual violence, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Advocates argue that updating state law would transform confidentiality from a tool of coercion into a survivor-centered choice.

Grant issued a statement through the organization's press release, obtained by Post Wrestling, speaking about the broader impact of coercive control and non-disclosure agreements:

"We are all more vulnerable to coercive control than we realize. Coercive control happens in increments, and entire industries are built on systems of coercive control. Tools such as NDAs can be used to ominously justify anything, and even turn a life into someone else's storyline, keeping even those who have not signed confidentiality agreements working in fear."

She continued, "Any system that sacrifices people, whether current or former employees, at the expense of safety and human dignity, is dangerous, if not impossible, for someone to 'leave.' I'm not alone in living a life looking over my shoulder. I am here to be a part of the solution and give a voice to people in Connecticut who are living and working in fear."

Grant's public appearance comes less than two weeks after a significant development in her federal lawsuit. On February 6, U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell denied Grant's request for early discovery in the case, ruling she had not established "good cause" for obtaining records and depositions before McMahon and WWE file their anticipated motions to compel arbitration.

However, the judge left the door open for Grant to renew the motion later in the proceedings. The ruling marked the first substantive movement in the case in approximately seven months.

The court has also ordered both parties to meet and submit a joint filing on deadlines by February 18 — one day before Grant's scheduled speaking appearance in Hartford.

Background on the Janel Grant Lawsuit

McMahon resigned from his positions at TKO Group Holdings and WWE following the lawsuit being filed. Laurinaitis was dropped from the case in May 2025 following a confidential settlement with Grant in which he agreed to cooperate with her legal team.

A $3 million non-disclosure agreement signed between Grant and McMahon remains central to the dispute. McMahon and WWE have argued that an arbitration clause in the NDA requires the case to be handled privately, while Grant's attorneys contend the clause is unenforceable under federal law, including the Speak Out Act.

Grant has previously called on WWE to waive NDAs for other current and former employees so they can come forward with potential allegations of misconduct.

NDAs and their role in silencing survivors have been a recurring theme throughout the case. Grant's advocacy at the Connecticut statehouse represents a shift toward seeking broader legislative change alongside her ongoing legal fight.

SEScoops will continue to monitor developments in the Janel Grant lawsuit as well as her advocacy efforts.