TRIGGER WARNING - SEXUAL ABUSE
Vince McMahon and WWE have filed motions in U.S. District Court in Maryland to dismiss the Ring Boy lawsuit. Their filings come after Linda McMahon filed a similar motion. WWE and Vince filed separate motions in the court.
Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling reports WWE and Vince argue that the case should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction in Maryland, where the Child Victims Act of 2023 has recently removed any statutes of limitations on civil lawsuits related to child sex abuse or negligence leading to child sex abuse.
They also argue that they don’t have meaningful ties to Maryland, and pushed back against allegations from the plaintiffs, five John Does, alleging they were sexually abused in the 1980s by former ring announcer Mel Phillips, including on occasions in Maryland when the WWF held events in the state. Phillips, who died in 2012, allegedly recruited the minors to set up wrestling rings and perform other errands.
The WWE filing states, "Plaintiffs appear to have selected Maryland as their forum of choice in an attempt to benefit from the recently enacted Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023. But the Plaintiffs’ claims do not belong there.”
Vince’s filing states, “Five unnamed adults—none of whom are from Maryland—have come to this jurisdiction pleading decades-old allegations from the 1980s in an attempt to capitalize on the recent Maryland Child Victims Act [MCVA] of 2023.”
Vince’s lawyers deny he had any knowledge or involvement in the abuse and call the complaint a compilation of unreliable sources.
WWE and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, also challenge whether they can be held liable. Their filing argues that the lawsuit improperly treats them as interchangeable with the “now nonexistent entity,” the World Wrestling Federation. WWE changed its name from WWF in 2002. TKO was created in 2023 after the merger of WWE and UFC.
WWE’s attorneys state the plaintiffs didn’t properly allege “successor liability," which is the legal concept that would allow a new company to be sued for the actions of its predecessor. WWE argues the lawsuit doesn’t establish why they or TKO should be held liable for the conduct of WWF personnel in the 1980s.
WWE also states that the alleged hiring of the plaintiffs by Phillips doesn’t tie the company to the former ring boys. “To the contrary, the Complaint alleges that Phillips hired Plaintiffs and that Phillips paid Plaintiffs money for the work he requested."
The defendants requested a hearing on their motions. Judge James K. Bredar has yet to schedule the hearing.
THe lawsuit was originally filed in October 2024. You can read the full lawsuit here.
Victim Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Hours: Available 24 hours
1-800-656-4673
