Controversial previous WWE CEO Vince McMahon is being legally accused of facilitating instances of sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit, submitted on behalf of five ex-WWE "Ring Boys," accuses Vince McMahon, his spouse Linda McMahon, the WWE, TKO Group Holdings, and the league's parent company, of knowingingly permitting previous ringside announcer Melvin Phillips, Jr. to misuse his position to sexually exploit minors as young as 12 and 13 years old.
"Phillips enticed and manipulated the young lads with tempting offers of meeting renowned wrestlers and attending popular wrestling events, experiences that were otherwise impossible for these kids," the lawsuit claims. "McMahon and the WWE allowed Phillips and others to perpetuate and nurture the WWE's rampant culture of sexual misconduct."
The WWE failed to respond to CNN's request for comment immediately. Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney for Vince McMahon, dismissed the allegations as false.
"More than three decades ago, columnist Phil Mushnick tried to grab headlines with these same false claims. Those accusations were never proved," Rosenberg stated in a statement. "The negligence claims against Mr. McMahon that were presented today rely on these same absurd, defamatory, and utterly meritless statements by Mr. Mushnick. We will stoutly defend Mr. McMahon and are certain that the court will discover that these claims are untrue and unfounded."
The lawsuit, filed in Baltimore County, Maryland, on behalf of five anonymous plaintiffs, alleges that Phillips would recruit children to work as "Ring Boys," performing tasks to prepare for WWE events. However, the job served as a disguise for sexually exploiting the boys, which Phillips would do even in the presence of wrestlers and executives in the locker room, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that McMahon was aware of Phillips' abuse of children. In fact, the lawsuit alleges that McMahon admitted as early as the 1980s that Phillips had a "peculiar and unnatural interest" in young boys.
Phillips worked for the WWE in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s as a "prominent" ringside announcer and crew chief. He passed away in 2012.
"It was widely known within the WWE—among the ring crew, wrestlers, and executives—that Phillips surrounded himself with a group of underage Ring Boys, including when he traveled across state lines and stayed in hotel rooms with the children," the lawsuit alleges.
According to the lawsuit, McMahon fired Phillips in 1988 after allegations about his sexual exploitation of children continued to mount. Yet, they rehired him six weeks later, and the lawsuit alleges he continued recruiting young men for sexual exploitation.
The lawsuit alleges that the McMahons re-hired Phillips under the condition that he "avoid kids," yet he did not, and they knowingly permitted it to continue. Phillips would often record his sexual abuse of underage Ring Boys on video camera, the lawsuit alleges.
"After decades of enduring their childhood trauma in silence, these survivors now come forward to hold (McMahon and the WWE) responsible for their conduct in allowing the systemic and pervasive abuse by Phillips," the lawsuit alleges.
No one has ever been criminally charged.
Linda McMahon resigned as CEO of WWE in 2009. She served in former President Donald Trump's cabinet as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration before stepping down in 2019.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of misconduct allegations against McMahon and the WWE. In 2022, McMahon resigned as CEO of WWE and subsequently paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to Rita Chatterton, a former employee and referee, who accused McMahon of raping her in 1986. McMahon returned to WWE's board in January 2023.
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2022 that McMahon had paid over $12 million to four women to conceal "allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity."
In January, McMahon resigned as chairman of TKO, WWE's parent company, following allegations of sexual assault and trafficking. McMahon denies the allegations.
The WWE, being a significant entity in the world of business, is facing allegations of permitting sexual misconduct within its ranks. According to the lawsuit, Vince McMahon, as a key figure in the WWE, was aware of Melvin Phillips's "peculiar and unnatural interest" in young boys.
