(Elsa via Getty Images)
Brock Lesnar put a punctuation mark on WWE SummerSlam Sunday night with his return to the ring after a two-year absence from the promotion.
Lesnar came out to confront John Cena following his defeat to Cody Rhodes and loss of the Undisputed WWE Championship, eventually attacking Cena and using his signature F-5 finishing move on him. Yet while the excitement of a feud with Cena was the takeaway from SummerSlam, Lesnar’s return also raises reminders of why he took a two-year hiatus.
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The seven-time WWE champion was named in a federal lawsuit against former WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. The lawsuit was filed against the company by former WWE employee Janel Grant, alleging that McMahon had sexually assaulted and trafficked her.
On Monday afternoon, Grant’s representation issued a statement to Fightful regarding Lesnar’s return to WWE.
“For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under WWE’s leadership,” the statement says. “Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has done nothing to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
“This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug will backfire,” the statement continued. “We look forward to the full set of facts, including those about Mr. Lesnar, coming out in a court of law where they belong but, in the meantime, we refer you back to Janel Grant’s updated complaint, which outlines, in detail, the abuse she endured by McMahon and others while employed at WWE.”
The full lawsuit can be read here, via the Wall Street Journal.
One of the claims in the complaint alleges that McMahon shared “sexually explicit photographs and videos of Ms. Grant (including pornographic content he recorded) with other men both inside and outside the company.”
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That included “a world-famous athlete and former UFC Heavyweight Champion with whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract (and ultimately did sign that contract).”
Lesnar was not initially named beyond that description in the lawsuit, but that has since been changed to outright name him in the complaint.
McMahon denied all allegations in Grant’s lawsuit, but resigned as WWE chairman in January 2024. Lesnar hadn’t appeared for WWE since then, with the company shelving plans to feature him in that year’s Royal Rumble.
However, Lesnar was apparently cleared by WWE’s lawyers to return as a performer four weeks ago, according to veteran reporter Dave Meltzer (via Cageside Seats). Though Meltzer was not able to provide details, he speculated that being cleared meant that the lawsuit may go to arbitration and Lesnar faced no legal jeopardy. His return to WWE appears to support that notion.
