The five plaintiffs say that Vince McMahon and the WWE tolerated the “open, rampant abuse” of “ring boys” as young as 12, all of whom worked as assistants to ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. in the 1980s and the 1990s.
Five former “ring boys” have filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon and the WWE, claiming they did nothing to prevent an announcer from sexually exploiting children at wrestling events.
According to NBC News, the lawsuit was filed earlier this week in a Baltimore County court. It names defendants including McMahon and McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, as well as World Wrestling Entertainment and the WWE’s parent company, TKO Holdings.
Together, the five plaintiffs say that these defendants tolerated the “open, rampant abuse” of “ring boys” as young as 12, all of whom worked as assistants to ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. in the 1980s and the 1990s.
“The underaged Ring Boys were groomed, exploited, and sexually abused by Phillips, who targeted children from broken homes,” law firms DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy said in a joint statement.
The alleged sexual assaults occurred at wrestling events, hotels, and other venues.
Phillips, attorneys say, would regularly “lure and manipulate” 12- and 13-year-old boys with the promise of meeting wrestling stars.
“Phillips’ real motivation in luring the ring boys with the promise of gaining access to the popular WWE events was to sexually abuse them,” the lawsuit alleges. “And Vince McMahon knew it, admitting that he was aware, at least as early as the 1980s, that Philips” was a predator.
After earning the boys’ trust, he would abuse them inside of dressing rooms, purportedly filming the acts on a video camera.
The lawsuit suggests that McMahon and his wife both had knowledge of Phillips’ “peculiar and unnatural interest” in young boys, but “failed to act even though they knew or should have known” that continuing to employ Phillips presented a very real risk of sexual exploitation.
“Thanks to the bravery of our victims, we finally have a chance to hold accountable those who have allowed and enabled the open, rampant sexual abuse of these young boys,” DiCello Levitt attorney and partner Greg Gutzler told NBC News in a statement.
An attorney for McMahon has since cast the plaintiffs’ claims as “false,” saying the allegations can be traced back to a New York Post article published more than 32 years ago.
“The negligence claims against Mr. McMahon that were asserted today rely on these same absurd, defamatory and utterly meritless statements by [Post columnist Phil Mushnick],” a lawyer for McMahon said. “We will vigorously defend Mr. McMahon and are confident the court will find that these claims are untrue and unfounded.”
Sources
Negligence lawsuit filed against WWE, Vince McMahon by ‘ring boys’ who allege sexual abuse
Vince and Linda McMahon Named in New ‘Ring Boy’ Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against WWE
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