Legendary professional wrestling exec Vince McMahon is being sued for ignoring claims of sexual abuse made by former employees called the “Ring Boys”.
According to TMZ, the lawsuit was filed in Baltimore County with Vince’s wife, Linda McMahon, WWE and its ownership, TKO Group, also named in the suit. Melvin Phillips Jr., a former ring crew chief and ringside announcer, said that he hired underaged boys to assist the crew with errands and tasks for wrestling shows.
The suit claims that some of the boys were as young as 12 to 13 years old, with Phillips hiring them after promising access to popular WWE events. but the real purpose was “to sexually abuse them.” According to the suit, the children hired came from broken homes, while these abusive occurrences happened in wrestling venues, hotel rooms and “in plain sight.”
Phillips passed away back in 2012.
Phillips is not being accused of any abuse, but the suit states McMahon and the defendants knowingly allowed Phillips to use his position within the company to “groom and abuse Ring Boys”, which sometimes occurred in front of wrestlers and other company execs.
“Thanks to the bravery of our clients, we finally have a chance to hold accountable those who allowed and enabled the open, rampant sexual abuse of these young boys,” Greg Gutzler, a partner at the DiCello Levitt Law Firm, said in a press release.
The firm says the FBI identified at least 10 individuals assaulted by Phillips, but believes there are more out there who have remained silent.
“That so many were aware of the sexual abuse of the ring boys and did nothing to prevent or stop it is simply unconscionable.”
McMahon resigned from WWE in January 2024 following allegations made by former employee Janel Grant, who accused him and former exec. John Laurinaitis of sexual misconduct.
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