On Wednesday, DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy law firm filed a lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and TKO Group Holdings before the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Maryland, on behalf of five survivors of sexual abuse (former WWE ring boys).
The lawsuit alleged that former ringside announcer and ring crew chief Melvin Phillips Jr. sexually assaulted ring boys on various occasions. The suit also noted that the defendants were fully aware of Phillips’ misconduct but did not take any action.
“BALTIMORE, October 23, 2024—DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy filed a major lawsuit today against World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (WWE), Vincent K. McMahon and Linda McMahon (the McMahons), and TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) on behalf of five survivors of sexual abuse. The survivors (John Does 1-5) were known within WWE as “Ring Boys,” underaged boys hired by the organization’s ringside announcer and ring crew chief Melvin Phillips Jr. to assist with errands and other tasks in preparation for WWE’s wrestling shows.
The underaged Ring Boys were groomed, exploited, and sexually abused by Phillips, who targeted children from broken homes. His sexual assaults occurred not only at the wrestling venues, but also in hotel rooms and other locations where Phillips would shuttle the boys in plain sight. Defendants were fully aware of the systemic and pervasive abuse and did nothing to prevent or stop it. The FBI previously identified at least 10 Ring Boys abused by Phillips, but there are likely countless others who have suffered in silence for decades.
The survivors only recently learned of the depth of knowledge that the McMahons and the WWE had about what happened to them and that sexual abuse in the company started at the top with the McMahons. The filing of Grant v. WWE, et al., No. 24-cv-90 (D. Conn.), the acquisition of the WWE by TKO, and the ouster of Vince McMahon as CEO all have provided new insights, and the possibility of coming forward without incurring the retribution and intimidation of the McMahons. This information, along with recent changes in sex abuse laws, has allowed them to pursue justice in this suit.”