Brock Lesnar was reportedly banned or placed on a "banned list" by WWE and its parent company TKO due to serious legal issues involving a sexual assault and trafficking lawsuit filed by Janel Grant against former WWE executive Vince McMahon and WWE. Lesnar was named in the lawsuit, which caused WWE's legal department to decide to stop using him in their programming and creative plans. As a result, he was removed from major WWE events like the 2024 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 40, and was excluded from WWE video game rosters and promotional materials. However, despite this, Lesnar made a surprise return to WWE in August 2025 after a two-year absence. The legal case and its implications appear to be the main reason behind WWE's distancing from Lesnar during this period.