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New lawsuit from 5 former “Ring Boys” say Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, & WWE knew about sexual abuse

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New lawsuit from 5 former "Ring Boys" say Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, & WWE knew about sexual abuse

As a survivor of sexual abuse myself, I find the allegations against Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) deeply disturbing. It is heartbreaking to hear that young boys were not only subjected to such horrific acts but also that their cries for help were ignored or dismissed.

(TW: sexual abuse of minors)

On Wednesday, a lawsuit was initiated against Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, the WWE, and its holding company TKO Holdings, on behalf of five individuals who used to work as “Ring Boys” for the WWE. These individuals allege that they were sexually abused by Mel Phillips, a former ring announcer and head of the ring crew, while they were still minors. Unfortunately, Phillips passed away in 2012.

A communication from law firms DiCello Levitt & Murphy, as well as Falcon & Murphy, reveals that the young victims, who hailed from troubled homes, were targeted by Phillips. The announcement further discloses that these assaults didn’t only happen at wrestling arenas, but also in hotel rooms and various other open settings. The press release continues to assert that the defendants had knowledge of the widespread and persistent abuse yet took no action to halt or prevent it. Earlier reports indicated that ten boys were victimized, however, it is speculated that there might have been more.

Greg Gutzler, a partner at DiCello Levitt, serves as the primary lawyer in this case. He expressed gratitude towards the courage of their clients, stating that they now have an opportunity to bring justice to those who permitted and facilitated the widespread sexual abuse of young boys within the Ring Boys community. It is appalling that so many were aware of the abuse yet chose not to intervene or take action to prevent it.

The press release also says that due  to the “Mr. McMahon” docuseries, Janel Grant’s lawsuit, TKO acquiring WWE, and Vince’s resignation from the company, the John Does were enlightened by 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.” This information, along with recent changes in sex abuse laws has allowed them to pursue justice via a new lawsuit. 

Mark DiCello, co-founder of DiCello Levitt, expressed that it was the WWE and McMahons’ duty to protect those underage boys they employed. Unfortunately, they fell drastically short in this responsibility. We are committed to unmasking the truth about this widespread, subtle, and devastating abuse within their organization. We salute our clients for their courage in speaking out, and we pledge to tirelessly work towards securing justice for them.

The Child USA organization, a prominent non-profit research group committed to safeguarding and enhancing children’s rights, serves as a powerful advocate. As stated by its founder and CEO, Professor Marci Hamilton, “These victims of child sexual abuse are embodiments of courage. Tragically, about one-third of such victims remain silent due to the feelings of shame, humiliation, trauma, and physical and emotional wounds that prevent them from speaking out.

Phillips was given “free rein”

Previously this year, a previous ring boy named “Shawn” shared his past encounters. He appeared as a guest on Lee Cole’s podcast; Lee is the sibling of the late Tom Cole, one of the pioneers who first disclosed their experiences as a “Ring Boy.” Shawn stated that he was in high school and residing in a foster home when he crossed paths with Phillips. He claimed they would journey from Philadelphia to Baltimore or New York with Phillips. In hotels, Phillips would wear only underwear or just a tee shirt and underwear while attempting to grapple with him. It remains undetermined if he is involved in this lawsuit.

From the 1970s until the early 1990s, Phillips was employed by WWE. As per the court documents, he exploited his role to entice minors, some as young as 12 or 13 years old. These children were often tasked with running errands and assisting the ring crew. The lawsuit alleges that Vince became aware of the abuse as early as the ’80s, due to him acknowledging that Phillips had an unusual and inappropriate fascination towards young boys.

The filing indicates that the defendants intentionally allowed Phillips to exploit his well-known WWE persona and image, using it to attract local children in areas near WWE shows to assist with setting up and dismantling the wrestling ring. In essence, Phillips would entice boys from troubled homes by offering them access to shows and encounters with wrestlers, which was his usual method of operation.

At certain locations, Phillips was provided a private dressing room, which he utilized to record his acts of abuse using an expensive video recording device. Notably, personal ownership of such video equipment was relatively rare during the specified timeframe.

1988 saw the termination of Phillips due to additional accusations of sexual misconduct involving children. Surprisingly, six weeks later, he was reinstated by the McMahons under the stipulation that he avoid contact with minors. However, according to the lawsuit, Phillips continued his abusive behavior upon his return. In 1992, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) found itself under federal scrutiny due to allegations of child sexual abuse and illegal transportation of minors across state lines. The investigation primarily targeted Phillips, Pat Patterson, and Terry Garvin, both of whom held prominent positions within McMahon’s inner circle.

1993 saw the FBI holding a videotape, allegedly depicting an unusual foot fetish of Phillips. The lawsuit contains some concealed details from an FBI report, stating, “Phillips is seen lying with (concealed details) foot in his crotch region for a prolonged duration. All victims have testified that Phillips frequently focuses on their feet for extended periods, ranging from half an hour to two hours. New York has summoned Phillips before the Grand Jury, but prosecutors have indicated he will invoke his 5th Amendment rights.

The report says that “the activity with the boys’ feet is most likely sexual behavior”, but it didn’t show conclusive behavior and could have “alternative explanations.” The victims weren’t willing to “admit or describe the sexual nature of their activity with Phillips.” The lawsuit provided evidence that WWE had the tape the year prior. 

The document states that in a 1993 TV interview, Linda confessed to having a foot fetish belonging to Phillips. This topic later became a recurring joke, which she claimed had been exaggerated excessively. A year before, when Tom Cole threatened legal action, he was summoned for a private meeting with the McMahons and Jerry McDevitt, former WWE counsel. During this private session, Linda allegedly told Cole that she believed “there was something amiss about Phillips and Garvin.

‘Nothing goes on in the WWF without the full knowledge of Vince McMahon’ 

There are photos (with faces blurred out) of some of the boys with Phillips featured throughout the lawsuit. The lawsuit also uses various quotes from high-profile wrestlers such as Bruno Sammartino, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Tito Santana, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and the late Sid Vicious. In an interview on Larry King Live, Sammartino stated that sexual harassment and abuse were common knowledge within the industry. He specifically named Phillips as someone who was known to sexually abuse children. 

In the course of the 1992 inquiry, it was found that transcripts from phone conversations between an attorney and Graham revealed that Vince had knowledge of all happenings within the WWE. The reasoning behind this belief is that Vince may have had similar inclinations himself, as Mel Phillips had been with him for 15 years, and nothing within the World Wrestling Federation occurred without the awareness and approval of Vince McMahon. Graham further characterized Vince as a “rude dictator” and was often referred to as “Caesar” due to his ruling and authoritative nature.

A different image of Linda emerges from another quote by Graham, contrasting with the Linda fans knew through television. “Linda McMahon might appear as innocent as a Sunday school teacher. However, her hands are equally stained with blood as her husband’s, suggesting she is deeply involved in the wrestling matches.

Five new John Does share their experiences in new filing

Based on the documents, during the 80s, these boys were frequently treated to dinners by Phillips and occasionally compensated for their ring crew duties upon his drop-offs, following instances of abuse. The records mention that he would sometimes treat them to ice cream as well. After a particularly distressing evening, John Doe 1 was allegedly given $200. It’s said that after their initial encounter, John Doe 1 requested to discuss the matter with his mother before meeting up with Phillips again.

The filing mentions the ages of the accusors, stating that John Does 1 and 2 were just 13 years old when Phillips began to abuse them. According to the documentation, he would start by “accidentally” touching them and it would escalate to manipulating their toes until they screamed, Phillips licking their feet, “wrestling” them while naked or barely clothed, and touching or fondling them. Phillips reportedly would force them to be naked or only wear underwear. According to the filing, Phillips attempted to rape John Doe 1. After that, the filing states he became afraid of Phillips and cut off contact. The filing states he was abused approximately 7 or 8 times in a 12-18 month period. John Doe 2 describes witnessing several boys being abused by Phillips in the filing. 

As per the records, it is stated that John Doe 3 was 14 years old when Phillips proposed to take him to meet wrestlers. Allegedly, Phillips abused him in almost every encounter they had. Following multiple shows with Phillips, John Doe 3 recalled a wrestler advising him to be wary of Phillips.

According to the documents, it’s stated that John Doe 4 was only 14 years old when he came across Phillips cruising around his neighborhood in Philadelphia. Interestingly, a witness identified as “Confidential Witness #1” is revealed to be a sibling of one of John Doe 4’s friends. In the report, this witness remembers Phillips frequently driving up and down their street, watching them play, and occasionally showing them Wrestling Entertainment belts he kept in his vehicle. It’s alleged that she saw the boys getting into Phillips’ car with him, and upon returning, they appeared to be intoxicated.

As stated in the document, John Doe 4 claimed that he was served alcohol and subsequently threw up at the hotel. It is also mentioned that Phillips accompanied him into the shower to clean up the area where the alleged incident took place.

The documents state that John Doe 4 and other underage boys were compelled to engage in physical matches with Phillips at various locations. Phillips is alleged to have manipulated their limbs, twisted and pulled their toes, pinned them down, and touched sensitive parts of their bodies such as the buttocks and groin area. Additionally, it’s claimed that Phillips would place his feet on their genitals and reciprocate in kind. These occurrences are believed to have taken place under Patterson’s watchful eye.

The document indicates that John Doe 5 was 15 years old when he first encountered Phillips. On several occasions, Phillips would drive up their street, pick them up, and give them rides. It’s said that he took them to WWE events at the Nassau Coliseum, as well as a show in Landover, Maryland. Afterward, John Doe 5 and other minors were allegedly offered alcohol and escorted to a hotel following these events.

Vince’s attorney, Jessica Rosenburg released the following statement to Brandon Thurston: 

30 years ago, Phil Mushnick, a columnist, attempted to gain attention with similar baseless accusations. These accusations were never substantiated and led to a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Mushnick. The allegations made today against Mr. McMahon are built on the same false, defaming, and completely baseless statements by Mr. Mushnick. We will aggressively defend Mr. McMahon and are certain that the court will rule these claims to be untrue and without merit.

Ann Callis, attorney for Janel Grant, also released a statement:

The claims made in the ‘ring boys’ lawsuit against WWE are extremely concerning. For years, Vince McMahon reportedly fostered a culture within WWE that was characterized by sexual abuse and human trafficking. Individuals like Janel Grant, as well as other former WWE employees who were victims of such abuse, deserve their opportunity to seek justice. It is crucial for all ex-WWE employees who suffered from sexual misconduct to have the chance to speak out freely, and this can be achieved by lifting non-disclosure agreements imposed on them. Ms. Grant strongly supports all survivors of WWE, and she believes that Mr. McMahon, WWE, and everyone else implicated in these allegations must face the consequences.

The court case underscores that as minors, every John Doe lacked the legal capacity to engage in sexual activities. Furthermore, it highlights that Vince and Linda McMahon were either aware or should have been aware of the harassment and abuse because such issues were systemic within WWE.

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2024-10-26 01:16

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