Janel Grant's motion for discovery in the sex trafficking lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE has been denied by the judge in Connecticut District Court.Grant had motioned for discovery to begin in June last year, with the argument being made that it would be used to indicate whether Grant had been coerced into the arbitration agreement she had entered into with McMahon and WWE.The defendants, on the other hand, contested that the evidence is irrelevant to the question, maintaining that the agreement compels arbitration first and foremost. As such, each defendant filed renewed motions to compel arbitration.Judge Sarah F. Russell determined in an order on Friday that Grant has not met the burden of good cause to show that discovery is warranted before responding to the defendants' motions to compel arbitration.In the order, Russell writes that, "The court expresses no opinion as to the merits of these forthcoming arguments, or any other grounds that [Grant] may choose to assert in opposition to Defendants' Motions to Compel Arbitration."Grant may renew her discovery motion in conjunction with filing her response in opposition to the arbitration motions. And after reviewing that, the court will determine whether to permit the parties to take limited, reciprocal discovery.The parties were directed to confer and file a joint notice proposing deadlines for Grant's response to the motions, three mutually agreeable dates for an oral argument on the motions, and stating whether the parties seek referral of the case to a magistrate judge for purposes of a settlement conference.That joint filing should be made on or before February 18, 2026.It's important to note that nothing stipulated by Judge Russell so far speaks to the facts of either Grant's complaint or the defense of McMahon and WWE. The dispute at hand refers to whether the case should continue in civil court, as is desired by Grant, or proceed to private arbitration, as is desired by the defendants.
