Nikki and Brie Garcia handle a sexual assault lawsuit against WWE's stepfather

Nikki And Brie Garcia broke their silence on the recent WWE sexual abuse lawsuit that named their stepfather, Johannes Laurinaitis.

“We are shocked and disheartened by the recent allegations against members of the WWE,” the Garcia twins, both 40, wrote in a joint post. Instagram statement on Monday, January 29. “It's been a lot to process since we just found out this past week, just like all of you.”

Nikki and Brie made their WWE debut in 2007 as the Bella Twins. The sisters officially retired from the organization in March 2023 and became known as the Garcia Twins. (“We were just longing for a new chapter in our lives and we knew that in doing so we had to get back to who we were and who we are – the Garcia twins,” Brie shared. Us in her May 2023 cover story with Nikki). “And I feel like the Bella Twins were really a character for us in the WWE. Now we were attached to them outside the ring because we used the name so much, but at the end of the day it was a big part of WWE.)

In their statement on Monday, the duo expressed support for the victims but did not specifically call out anyone accused. Laurinaitis, a former professional wrestler known as Johnny Ace, is married to Nikki and Brie's mother. Kathy Colace Laurinaitissince 2016.

“This is something that we do not support or condone by anyone, regardless of who it is,” their statement concluded. “We want all women to feel safe and supported in the workplace and in their daily lives.”

Last week, former WWE staffer Janel Grant alleged in a lawsuit that she was the victim of “physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking” against the former co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment Vince McMahon.

This is evident from court documents obtained by We weekly Grant claimed at the time that McMahon, 78, “pushed” her into having a physical relationship with him. She also alleged that he shared sexually explicit photos of Grant with other men in the organization and forced her to have sex with other staffers during work hours.

While McMahon is the main subject of the lawsuit, Laurinaitis, the general manager of WWE, was named in the lawsuit along with the company as a whole.

Grant claimed that the WWE was aware of the “misbehavior” and tried to cover it up. She claimed McMahon tried to silence her with a non-disclosure agreement.

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While Hollywood may seem all glitz and glamor at first glance, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals over the years. The New York Times and the New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 accusing disgruntled film producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Shortly afterwards, Weinstein stood trial and did so […]

McMahon has denied the allegations.

Since the news broke, McMahon has stepped down from TKO Group, the media group that includes the WWE.

“Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO Company and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all the employees and Superstars who have helped make WWE the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my function. executive chairmanship and the board of directors of TKO, effective immediately,” McMahon shared in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, January 26. “I stand by my previous statement that Ms. Grant's lawsuit is full of lies, obscene fabrications that never happened and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless allegations and look forward to clearing my name.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).