Five men who formerly worked as “ring boys” for WWE/WWF in the 1980s filed a lawsuit on Wednesday. They claimed that Mel Phillips, who is deceased, groomed and se-ually abused them when they were teenagers.
The lawsuit named WWE, its parent company TKO Group Holdings, and WWE co-founders Vince and Linda McMahon as defendants.
Five John Does accused WWE of giving Phillips, a ring crew boss and ring announcer, of having easy access to kids and means to abuse them, such as a private locker room.
Highlights
- Mel Phillips allegedly se*ually abused multiple underage boys during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
- The lawsuit claimed that Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon, who were in charge of the company then, knew of their ring announcer’s actions but didn’t stop him.
- These accusations resurfaced decades-old allegations and led WWE to come under scrutiny.
This is not the first lawsuit against the late ring announcer Mel Phillips. Former ring boys have filed two previous lawsuits with the same allegations.
However, it is the first time that the McMahons have been named in such a lawsuit. As reported by Rolling Stone, the lawsuit also connected Linda McMahon to an alleged cover-up of child abuse.
Moreover, the plaintiffs, John Does 1-5, reportedly learned the depth of knowledge that the McMahons and the WWE had about what happened to them only recently.
They claimed the defendants knew about the widespread abuse but did nothing to stop it.
The FBI found that Phillips abused at least ten ring boys, but there could be many more who have stayed silent for years.
New Lawsuit Reveals Horrific Abuse Details By Ring Announcer Mel Phillips
As reported by POST Wrestling, John Doe 1 was 13 when he met Mel Phillips outside a WWF event in 1981 or 1982.
The late ring announcer allegedly told him, “I can get you in. I work here.”
A new lawsuit has been filed today by former WWF ring boys against WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon.
— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) October 23, 2024
Press release from attorneys for the plaintiffs:
BALTIMORE, October 23, 2024—DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy filed a major lawsuit today against World… pic.twitter.com/nMQpL2hxZg
John Doe 2 was also 13 when he met Phillips at a WWF show in 1984. After chatting about wrestling, Phillips asked him to follow him to the dressing room.
John Doe 2 even witnessed Mel abuse other young boys. The survivor revealed that he suffered from mental and emotional distress after the traumatic experiences of abuse.
John Doe 3 was about 14 when he met Phillips in the mid-80s. Phillips asked if he liked wrestling and helped him meet wrestlers.
The former ring announcer allegedly took Doe 3 to a WWF show in Philadelphia and stayed together in a hotel room, where Mel did something unspeakable.
Moreover, John Doe 4 was about 14 when he met Phillips around 1983 or 1984.
John Doe 5 was around 15 when he met Phillips at the same time. The survivor described Phillips using alcohol to aid in his serial exploitation of boys.
The men are now adults and their names and identities have not been disclosed in the lawsuit to protect their privacy.
Furthermore, Vince McMahon’s lawyer, Jessica Rosenberg, criticized columnist Phil Mushnick for repeating these claims.
She said the allegations from 30 years ago were never proven and led to a defamation lawsuit against Mushnick.
“More than 30 years ago, the columnist Phil Mushnick tried to make headlines with these same false claims. Those allegations were never proven and ultimately became the subject of a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Mushnick.”
Jessica Rosenberg
Mushnick said McMahon told him he saw Phillips with young boys often.
Mushnick also reported that McMahon fired Phillips in 1988 because he thought Phillips’ behavior with kids was peculiar.
Mel was later rehired with the directive to “steer clear from kids,” which he didn’t follow, according to survivors.
Additional Information
- Linda McMahon’s net worth is $3 billion, which she amassed as a successful businesswoman and politician.
- Similarly, Vince McMahon amassed an impressive net worth of $3.2 billion through his career as a professional wrestling promoter, commentator, and film producer.
- Vince and Linda McMahon have been married since 26 August 1966. They have two children, Shane and Stephanie.
