Nikki and Brie Garcia, formerly known as the Bella Twins, have spoken out regarding the recent WWE sexual assault allegations that named their stepdad, John Laurinaitis.
Warning: sexual violence
“We are shocked and disheartened with the recent allegations against members of the WWE,” the 40-year-old twins wrote via a joint Instagram statement on Monday (Jan. 29). “It has been a lot to process since we just found out this past week as you all did.”
In their statement, the former WWE superstars, who retired in March 2023 and thus started going by the Garcia Twins, noted their support for their victims.
“This is something we don’t stand for or condone from anyone no matter who they are” they continued. “We want all women to feel safe and supported in the workplace and in their everyday lives.”
The twins didn’t name their stepfather, who has been married to Nikki and Brie’s mom, Kathy Colace Laurinaitis, since 2016 in their statement.
As PopCrush previously reported, a former WWE employee has filed a sexual assault lawsuit against the wrestling company and executive chairman Vince McMahon.
Janel Grant alleges the WWE founder assaulted her and subjected her to sex trafficking when she worked at the company, forcing her to perform sexual acts with “extreme cruelty and degradation.”
Former head of talent relations at WWE John Laurinaitis is also named in the lawsuit, which was filed in Connecticut on Thursday (Jan. 25).
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According to court documents, Grant was hired by the WWE in 2019 after McMahon asked for “a physical relationship in return for long-promised employment” as a legal administrator-coordinator at the sports entertainment company.
Grant claims she was forced into a sexual relationship with McMahon, who shared explicit photos and videos of her to other WWE employees.
“McMahon also subjected Grant to acts of extreme cruelty and degradation that caused Grant to disassociate and/or become numb to reality in order to survive the horrific encounters,” the legal documents state.
She is also suing for unspecified damages.
McMahon retired from the WWE in July 2022 following reports he had paid multiple women more than $14 million over the span of many years to remain quiet about various sexual affairs and allegations of sexual misconduct.
He returned to the company in January 2023 before ultimately resigning on January 26, 2024 following the shocking allegations.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse or violence, help is available through the RAINN website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-656-4673.
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