October 24th 2024.
A recent lawsuit has been filed accusing Vince McMahon of knowingly allowing a WWE employee to sexually exploit children in the 1980s. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of five former WWE "ring boys", claims that McMahon, his wife Linda McMahon, the WWE, and TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the league, turned a blind eye to the actions of former ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. The suit alleges that Phillips used his position to lure and manipulate young boys, some as young as 12 or 13, with promises of meeting famous wrestlers and attending popular wrestling shows that were otherwise inaccessible to them.
The WWE has yet to respond to CNN's request for comment, but Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney for Vince McMahon, has denied the allegations, calling them false. This is not the first time Phillips' alleged abuse of ring boys has been brought to light. In fact, as early as 1992, New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick wrote about it. However, Rosenberg dismisses these claims, stating that they were never proven.
The suit, filed in Baltimore County, Maryland, on behalf of five John Does, alleges that Phillips would recruit children to work as ring boys, but in reality, the job was just a cover for his sexual exploitation. The lawsuit claims that Phillips would even engage in these acts in front of wrestlers and executives in the locker room. The suit also alleges that McMahon was aware of Phillips' actions and even admitted to knowing about his "peculiar and unnatural interest" in young boys as early as the 1980s.
Phillips worked for the WWE in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s as a "prominent" ringside announcer and crew chief. He passed away in 2012. According to the lawsuit, it was common knowledge among the WWE employees that Phillips had a group of underage ring boys that he would often travel and stay with. The lawsuit also claims that after allegations of sexual exploitation surfaced in 1988, the McMahons fired Phillips, but rehired him just six weeks later. The suit alleges that the McMahons had a conversation with Phillips, instructing him to "steer clear from kids," but he continued to recruit and exploit young men.
The lawsuit also claims that Phillips would often record his sexual abuse of the underage ring boys on video cameras. The survivors, who have remained silent about their childhood trauma for decades, have come forward to hold the McMahons accountable for their inaction and enabling of Phillips' abuse. Despite these claims, no one has ever been criminally charged for Phillips' actions.
Linda McMahon, who stepped down as CEO of the WWE in 2009, worked in former President Donald Trump's cabinet as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration before resigning in 2019. This lawsuit is just the latest in a series of misconduct allegations against Vince McMahon and the WWE. In 2022, McMahon stepped down as CEO of the WWE and paid a large settlement to Rita Chatterton, a former employee and referee who accused him of raping her in 1986. However, McMahon returned to the WWE's board in 2023.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that McMahon has paid over $12 million to four women to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity. In January, McMahon stepped down as chairman of TKO, the parent company of the WWE, following allegations of sexual assault and trafficking. He has denied these allegations.
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