Lawsuit filed against TKO, WWE, Vince and Linda McMahon for sexual abuse
WWE and TKO Group Holdings have been sued. Vince McMahon has been gone from the companies for almost nine months, while Linda McMahon left just over 15 years ago, but the former WWE bosses were also named in the lawsuit filed on behalf of several sexual abuse survivors.
Netflix's hit docuseries Mr. McMahon touched on multiple WWE scandals, including the so-called underage ring boys scandal of 1992. Pat Patterson, Mel Phillips, and Terry Garvin were accused of sexual misconduct with underage ring crew employees. Tom Cole accused Patterson of abuse when he was only 14 years old. All three resigned, but Pat was re-hired that year, with Cole's approval, after Murray Hodgson rescinded allegations of witnessing abuse. Patterson maintained innocence, while Garvin and Phillips never returned, but Garvin did settle.
Cole planned to sue but was re-hired with a $55,000 settlement, then fired a year later for violating their terms by not attending all school classes. He later sued, but it was dismissed. Patterson passed away in 2020 but remains a legend in WWE, despite recent allegations by a Hall of Famer. Garvin died in 1998, Phillips passed away in 2012, and Cole passed in 2021. It's believed Hodgson still lives in Michigan.
The DiCello Levitt law firm of Chicago announced today that a "major lawsuit" has been filed against WWE, TKO, and the McMahons on behalf of John Does 1-5. The press release noted how these five survivors were known as "Ring Boys" within WWE, and they were described as underaged boys hired by former announcer and ring crew chief Mel Phillips Jr. to help with errands and other pre-show work.
"The WWE and McMahons had a responsibility to these underaged boys, and they failed them in the worst way possible. We will vigorously fight to uncover the truth about this systemic, insidious, and life-altering abuse. We commend our clients for their bravery in coming forward and promise to relentlessly seek justice for them," said DiCello Levitt founding partner Mark DiCello.
It's alleged that the ring workers were groomed, exploited, and sexually abused by Phillips, who allegedly targeted children from broken homes. Phillips allegedly committed these crimes at venues, hotel rooms, and other locations. The suit accuses the defendants of being fully aware of Phillips' systemic and pervasive abuse but doing nothing to stop it.
"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. That so many were aware of the sexual abuse of the Ring Boys and did nothing to prevent or stop it is simply unconscionable," said lead litigator and DiCello Levitt partner Greg Gutzler.
The survivors say they just recently learned the depth of knowledge that WWE and its co-founders have about what happened, further alleging that the abuse within the company started at the top with Vince and Linda. It was noted that the FBI previously identified at least ten of these underage ring crew workers abused by Phillips, but it's believed that countless others have spent decades suffering in silence.
DiCello Levitt noted how new insights have come out of Janel Grant's lawsuit against McMahon, Vince's departure from WWE and TKO, as well as Endeavor's merger, while also providing the possibility of coming forward without backlash from the McMahons. The decision was made to file the suit after considering these new insights, along with recent changes in sex abuse laws, according to the press release.
Five attorneys from the DiCello Levitt firm filed the case in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Maryland, today, along with one attorney from the Baltimore-based Murphy, Falcon & Murphy firm. DiCello Levitt is lead counsel on the Does vs. Peter Nygard civil suit, which covers more than 125 victims over the course of 50 years.
Vince McMahon warns the WWE Universe
The recent Mr. McMahon docuseries on Netflix immediately went viral when all six episodes were released at once. The controversial series kept former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in the headlines for weeks and brought significant negative attention to the company.
McMahon took to X with a rare post to warn viewers before the docuseries premiered. The billionaire said he did not regret participating in the project, but he felt the series fell short and conflated who he really is with his WWE character. He accused the producers of intentionally confusing viewers and said he hopes fans will keep an open mind and remember that every story has two sides.
The Mr. McMahon docuseries reportedly drew massive numbers all across the world for Netflix. McMahon reportedly tried to buy the series before it aired in an attempt to kill the project, but he obviously had no luck.