In October, the law firm DiCello Levitt filed suit on behalf of five survivors of what has been billed as the ‘ring boy scandal’. The lawsuit alleges Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and WWE knew and did nothing to prevent ring announcer and head of ring crew Mel Phillips’ sexual assault of underage boys in the 80s and early 90s. Phillips was fired in 1992 after the allegations became public.
“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,” said Mark DiCello, a founding partner of DiCello Levitt upon filing the lawsuit. “We commend our clients for their bravery in coming forward and promise to relentlessly seek justice for them.”
The Maryland Child Victims Act was passed by the state’s General Assembly in 2023, which retroactively appeals the statue of limitations on lawsuits dealing with child sexual abuse.
Dave Meltzer has an article with details on a new lawsuit filed by survivors of the ‘ring boy scandal’ first reported in 1992. The lawsuit accuses Vince & Linda McMahon, as well as WWE, of negligence for not doing anything to prevent former ring announcer and head of ring crew Mel Phillips from sexually abusing underage boys.
The attorney of Vince McMahon has responded to a new lawsuit filed on Wednesday.
McMahon’s attorney Jessica Rosenberg released a statement to Brandon Thurston denying the allegations filed by five survivors of the ‘ring boy scandal’ who are suing McMahon, Linda McMahon, and WWE/TKO claiming negligence on their behalf for doing nothing to stop sexual abuse of underage boys from Mel Phillips, who was both an announcer and head of the ring crew in the 1980s.
“More than 30 years ago, the columnist Phil Mushnick tried to make headlines with these same false claims,” Rosenberg’s statement reads. “Those allegations were never proven and ultimately became the subject of a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Mushnick. The negligence claims against Mr. McMahon that were asserted today rely on these same absurd, defamatory and utterly meritless statements by Mr. Mushnick. We will vigorously defend Mr. McMahon and are confident the court will find that these claims are untrue and unfounded.”
The ring boy scandal first became public in 1992. Phillips, Terry Garvin, and Pat Patterson were all fired from WWE due to the allegations, though Patterson was eventually hired back and remained part of the company until he died in 2020.
The lawsuit claims that the survivors, who were named John Does 1-5 in the suit, learned of the depth of knowledge the McMahons and WWE had regarding the abuse based on the lawsuit Janel Grant filed in January accusing Vince McMahon of sexual abuse and trafficking. That lawsuit is currently on pause as the Justice Department continues its investigation against McMahon.
The law firm DiCello Levitt filed suit against WWE, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and TKO Group Holdings today on behalf of five survivors of the “ring boy scandal.”
The lawsuit alleges that WWE was aware of and did nothing to stop ring announcer and ring crew chief Melvin Phillips Jr’s sexual abuse of underage boys on the ring crew. It states that Phillips targeted children from broken homes and that assaults occurred not only at wrestling events but also in hotel rooms and other locations where Phillips would have the boys shuttled.
The allegations became public in 1992 and were covered on shows such as A Current Affair and Donahue.
The lawsuit also states that the five survivors, named John Does 1-5 in the suit, only recently learned of the depth of knowledge the McMahons and WWE had about their abuse as a result of new insights gained from the lawsuit Janel Grant filed in January.
“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,” said Greg Gutzler, a partner at DiCello Levitt, who is leading the litigation. “That so many were aware of the sexual abuse of the Ring Boys and did nothing to prevent or stop it is simply unconscionable.”
“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,” said Mark DiCello, founding partner of DiCello Levitt. “We commend our clients for their bravery in coming forward and promise to relentlessly seek justice for them.”
“These survivors are profiles in courage. One third of child sex abuse victims never come forward, because the shame, humiliation, trauma, and physical and psychological injuries silence them,” said Professor Marci Hamilton, founder and CEO of CHILD USA, a leading nonprofit think tank fighting to preserve and strengthen children’s rights. “Sadly, we know that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18. CHILD USA is fighting child sex abuse and trafficking, and one of the greatest tools in our arsenal is to push for statute of limitations reform so perpetrators and their enabling institutions can be held accountable in cases of delayed disclosure. Due to the Maryland window we fought for, these brave survivors can seek justice.”
Ann Callis, attorney for Janel Grant, released a statement on the news:
“The allegations in the ‘ring boys’ lawsuit against WWE are deeply troubling. Vince McMahon made sexual abuse and human trafficking a hallmark of WWE’s culture for decades. Survivors like Janel Grant and other former WWE employees deserve their day in court. All former WWE employees who experienced sexual abuse and harassment should be allowed to tell the truth by having their non-disclosure agreements waived. Ms. Grant stands by all WWE survivors and believes that Mr. McMahon, WWE, and all involved parties must be held accountable.”
Attorney for Janel Grant, the former WWE employee and sexual assault survivor, releases the following statement on the new “ring boys” lawsuit claiming Vince McMahon and WWE turned a blind eye to sexual abuse.
