A recent lawsuit has emerged against WWE and its founders, alleging they perpetuated a culture of sexual abuse within the organization while ignoring the predatory behavior of a long-serving ringside announcer towards young men hired as “ring boys.”
This legal action was initiated in Maryland after a change in state law lifted the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims, allowing victims to bring lawsuits regardless of age or elapsed time.
The lawsuit indicates that Melvin Phillips, who passed away in 2012, targeted young men, many from marginalized backgrounds, employing them as “ring boys” to assist with wrestling event preparations. It is alleged that Phillips subsequently assaulted these individuals in various locations, including dressing rooms, hotels, and wrestlers’ locker rooms. This complaint is filed on behalf of five men and describes a pattern of abuse that persisted during Phillips’ extensive career from the 1970s until the early 1990s. Notably, because Phillips is deceased, he is not named in the suit.
Instead, the focus of the complaint is on Vince and Linda McMahon, the founders of World Wrestling Entertainment, who are accused of having knowledge of Phillips’ misconduct yet doing little to intervene. “This wasn’t an isolated instance; there was a culture of abuse and it started at the top,” stated attorney Greg Gutzler, who is representing the five plaintiffs who have chosen to remain anonymous.
According to the lawsuit, which has been filed in the Baltimore County Circuit Court, the alleged abuse spanned several states including Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, impacting victims who were aged between 13 and 15 when they first encountered Phillips.
Gutzler remarked that the plaintiffs felt empowered to come forward after Vince McMahon resigned from WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, earlier this year amidst his own misconduct scandal. Vince stepped down in January following a federal lawsuit from a former WWE employee who accused him of serious misconduct, including inappropriate behavior and offering her to a wrestler for sexual purposes. McMahon had previously resigned as WWE’s CEO in 2022 in the midst of an investigation into similar allegations.
Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney representing McMahon, has denied the abuse allegations, stating that the lawsuit reiterates “these same false claims.” She expressed confidence in a successful defense against the accusations. Efforts to contact Linda McMahon for comment remain pending, and the attorneys for the other parties involved have yet to be listed in court records.
Vince McMahon has been a prominent figure in WWE for years. He transformed what started as the World Wrestling Federation, then operating in local venues, into a global brand that fills major sports stadiums. In April, WWE merged with the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, creating TKO Group Holdings, valued at $21.4 billion.
The lawsuit claims that WWE leadership allowed Phillips unchecked authority, enabling him to use his public persona to lure young fans to meet their favorite wrestlers and attend events.
The complaint notes that Phillips was initially dismissed in 1988 due to emerging abuse allegations but was reinstated just six weeks later. Linda McMahon, who resigned as CEO in 2009, later served as head of the Small Business Administration under former President Donald Trump.
Filed under a Maryland law that recently took effect, the lawsuit follows lawmakers’ efforts to eliminate the statute of limitations for such cases, particularly in light of revelations regarding sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This law’s passage also opens doors for legal action against various other organizations, including Maryland’s juvenile justice agency.
Nevertheless, the viability of these claims faces uncertainty as the constitutionality of the law is currently under review by the Supreme Court of Maryland.