Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon, his wife Linda McMahon, and their company TKO Group Holdings face a shocking new lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought by five former “Ring Boys,” alleges a horrific history of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the wrestling organization.
According to the lawsuit, filed in the Baltimore County Circuit Court, former WWE employees Mel Phillips and Terry Garvin “abused ‘Ring Boys’, who were hired to assist with errands and other items.” The suit asserts that Phillips, who targeted children from broken homes, groomed, exploited, and sexually abused the underaged Ring Boys.
Crucially, the lawsuit alleges that Vince and Linda McMahon “were fully aware of the systemic and pervasive abuse and did nothing to prevent or stop it.”
Phillips and Garvin faced accusations of inappropriate contact with a former “Ring Boy” named Tom Cole in 1992. Both men, along with Pat Patterson, resigned from WWE in the wake of the accusations. However, the new lawsuit alleges that the McMahons were aware of the abuse long before then and failed to take action.
“The complaint details just some of the facts underlying this scheme of abuse. We are certain there will be significant developments in the coming months that will illuminate, even further, the systemic corruption and abuse inside the WWE,” said attorney Greg Gutzler, representing the five John Does.
Vince McMahon has already denied the allegations, with his attorney calling them “outlandish” and “classic libel.” However, the lawsuit cites evidence that the McMahons were aware of Phillips’ behavior, including a 1992 comment from Vince McMahon that he had previously let Phillips go due to his “peculiar and unnatural” relationship with children.
This latest scandal comes as Vince McMahon faces increasing legal troubles, including a separate lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant alleging rape and sex trafficking. With this new lawsuit, the McMahons and the entire WWE organization are under intense scrutiny for their alleged complicity in the sexual abuse of minors.
The five plaintiffs in this case are seeking accountability and justice for the trauma they endured as vulnerable young employees. As the details of this horrific saga continue to unfold, the WWE’s tarnished reputation faces an uncertain future.