Nikki and Brie Garcia broke their silence about the recent lawsuit against WWE. Their stepfather, John Laurinaitis, has been named in a sexual assault lawsuit filed by former WWE staffer Janel Grant.
“We are shocked and disheartened with the recent allegations against members of the WWE,” the Garcias wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. “It has been a lot to process since we just found out this past week as you all did, This is something we don’t stand for or condone from anyone no matter who they are. We want all women to feel safe and supported in the workplace and in their everyday lives.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
In the lawsuit, Grant claimed she was a victim of “physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking” by WWE co-founder Vince McMahon. She alleged that McMahon “pushed” her to have a physical relationship with him. She also claimed he shared sexually explicit photos of Grant with other men in the organization and coerced her into having sex with other staffers. Laurinaitis who married Nikki and Brie Gracia’s mother Kathy Kathy Laurinaitis in 2016, is not the subject of the lawsuit but is named along with WWE as a company.
McMahon has denied the allegations but has stepped down from TKO Group Holdings, the company that owns WWE and UFC. “Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately,” McMahon said in a statement. “I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”
Nikki and Brie Garcia, 40, began their professional wrestling careers in WWE in 2007. The duo was called The Bella Twins and won the now-defunct Divas Championship a combined three times. Nikki and Brie’s impact in WWE led to them being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020 (ceremony in 2021).
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
