Three more former ring boys join lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon & Linda McMahon

Warning: This article includes accounts involving alleged child sexual abuse

According to POST Wrestling, an amended lawsuit filed on Monday, April 28, has revealed that three additional former ring boys have joined the lawsuit against WWE, TKO Group Holdings, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon.

The ongoing lawsuit, initially filed in October 2024 by former ring boys, alleges that the McMahons and WWE were aware of the sexual abuse involving underage boys but failed to report it. The original filing also included accusations against former ring announcer Mel Phillips. Ring boys were young men recruited to help set up the ring before wrestling events in the 1980s and 1990s.

The updated lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland now brings the total number of plaintiffs to eight, with the addition of John Does 6, 7, and 8 as the additional plaintiffs. It introduces new claims of child sexual abuse involving Mel Phillips, Pat Patterson, and Koko B. Ware. Mel Phillips died in 2012, while Pat Patterson died in 2020.

To support their claim that Vince and Linda McMahon were aware or should have been aware of the abuse, the ring boys detail several instances where they interacted with or were in the vicinity of the McMahons.

WWE, TKO Group Holdings, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon have submitted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit

John Doe 6, a Mississippi resident, has alleged that he met Mel at 11 or 12 years old, after a WWF house show in 1989, and he was told to stay in Patterson’s hotel room while other ring boys stayed in Mel’s room. The filing states that, “Doe 6 alleges he was given alcohol, Patterson played pornography on the television, and forced Doe 6 to give Patterson oral sex and vice versa.”

Another allegation from John Doe 6 claims that he was “grabbed in the crotch” by Ware. The filing also states that there were multiple witnesses present, including “Phillips, Patterson, ring crew member and later ring announcer Tony Chimel, and referee Danny Davis.”

“In front of everyone else in the room, Koko B. Ware told John Doe 6 to get against wall [sic], pushed John Doe 6’s head against wall [sic], patted him down, and then grabbed John Doe 6’s crotch.”

The filing notes that while most of the witnesses laughed, Tony Chimel was the exception who said something like, “don’t do that, let him go.” Later, Chimel told John Doe 6 that he shouldn’t be on the ring crew and advised him to run away.

Furthermore, John Doe 7 claims to have met Phillips when he was 14 or 15 years old and also alleges that he was given alcohol and sexually abused by Phillips; the allegations include forced oral s*x. As per the filing, John Doe 7 also alleges that there were instances of abuse from Phillips away from WWF events, some of which were recorded with a video camera.

John Doe 8 claims to have met Mel when he was 15 and was asked to come to an event in 1982, where he and another ring boy were allegedly given marijuana. Describing the abuse that took place in hotel rooms, Phillips “allegedly put the boys’ “feet on his p*nis to compare sizes.” The former ring announcer also allegedly offered the boys cocaine and pills.

An additional detail in the filing states that each plaintiff received compensation for their work, “whether from cash payments, food, or lodging provided by the WWF.” According to POST Wrestling, this point is significant to the plaintiffs’ case, as it supports their argument that the company had a duty of care toward the ring boys.

“Compensation, combined with allegations of supervision and travel arrangements, is cited as evidence that the underage ring crew members weren’t just volunteers or independent bystanders, but individuals the WWF was responsible for.”

In early April, WWE, TKO Group Holdings, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon submitted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the lack of jurisdiction over them in Baltimore, Maryland, and failure to prove that the defendants owed them a duty of care. Additionally, the promotion also argued that the original complaint did not sufficiently connect the current organization to the alleged misconduct of its predecessor.

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