Vince and Linda McMahon Named in Employee Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against WWE

Five men filed a lawsuit this month against WWE, alleging they were sexually abused by ring crew boss Mel Phillips in the 1980s. The suit names WWE, TKO Group Holdings, and Vince and Linda McMahon as defendants.

The plaintiffs, five John Does, allege Phillips groomed them as young boys after hiring them to assist the ring crew before wrestling matches. According to the suit, WWE fostered a culture of abuse and gave Phillips unrestricted access to means of abusing the boys, including private locker rooms and hotel rooms. Phillips also allegedly filmed the boys.

Court documents describe how Phillips, who died in 2012, allegedly targeted vulnerable young boys. Phillips reportedly focused on recruiting boys from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, typically between the ages of 12 and 13. According to the suit, Phillips enticed the boys by promising them opportunities to meet famous wrestlers and offering them chances to attend popular wrestling events.

According to the complaint, four of the plaintiffs assert the abuse occurred during the early to mid-1980s. The fifth plaintiff alleges that his abuse continued until 1989, spanning a period that included Phillip’s termination and subsequent rehiring. In Maryland, a recent law change got rid of the state’s statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims.

The complaint provides disturbing details of sexual abuse by Phillips. According to John Doe 1, Phillips groped his genitals the day they met. A few weeks later, Phillips allegedly stripped down to his underwear, massaged the boy’s legs, and licked his bare feet.

According to the complaint, during a WWE match in Springfield, Massachusetts, Phillips took the boys into a private room and “began hugging them and touching their legs, genitals, and buttocks.” Phillips also allegedly “rubbed his genitals on John Doe 3’s legs and feet until he orgasmed.”

In the 1980s, Vince McMahon reportedly said Phillips displayed an “unnatural and peculiar interest” in young boys and fired Phillips in 1988 after persistent allegations of child sexual exploitation. However, Phillips was rehired on the condition that he “steer clear” from the ring boys. The suit alleges that this directive was ignored, and Phillips continued to abuse the boys. The plaintiffs contend the sexual abuse persisted for years after Phillip’s reinstatement and went unchecked by WWE leadership.

The lawsuit paints a damaging picture of the WWE’s leadership and their alleged complicity in the abuse. As the complaint states, “Defendants knew or should have known about Phillip’s sexual harassment and abuse of the Ring Boys.” Attorney for the plaintiffs, Greg Gutzler, said in a statement, “The WWE organization and the McMahons had a higher duty to protect the Ring Boys, yet they failed in the most appalling way.”

Linda McMahon is co-leading former President Trump’s 2024 transition team and was the Small Business Administrator under the Trump Administration. The lawsuit marks the first time the couple have been named as defendants.