Legendary professional wrestler Vince McMahon is under legal hot fire for neglecting allegations of sexual assault made by former staff members known as the “Ring Boys.”
TMZ claims that Vince’s wife, Linda McMahon, WWE, and ownership, TKO Group, are all included in the complaint, which was filed in Baltimore County. Former ring crew chief and ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. said he employed underaged youngsters to help the crew with chores during wrestling events.
According to the lawsuit, some boys were as young as 12 or 13; Phillips hired them after guaranteeing access to highly sought-after WWE events. Actually, however, “to sexually abuse them” was the true goal. The lawsuit claims that while these violent incidents occurred at wrestling arenas, hotel rooms, and “in plain sight,” the hired youngsters were from broken families.
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Phillip died away back in 2012.
Phillips is not under accusation of any mistreatment. Still, the lawsuit claims McMahon and the defendants intentionally let Phillips use his position within the business to “groom and abuse Ring Boys,” often in front of wrestlers and other company officials.
“Thanks to the bravery of our clients, we finally have a chance to hold accountable those who allowed and enabled the open, rampant sexual abuse of these young boys,” Greg Gutzler, a partner at the DiCello Levitt Law Firm, stated in a news release.
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The company claims that while the FBI found at least 10 people abused by Phillips, there are more who have stayed quiet.
“That so many were aware of the sexual abuse of the ring boys and did nothing to prevent or stop it is simply unconscional..”
Following claims made by former employee Janel Grant, who claimed sexual misbehavior by John Laurinaitis, McMahon left WWE in January 2024.
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