‘Ring boys’ sex abuse lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon takes 'significant step forward'

A lawsuit alleging the sexual abuse underage boys brought against WWE, Vince McMahon and his wife Linda is moving forward to the discovery phase.

The sexual abuse case claims that the professional wrestling titan and former CEO Vince McMahon did nothing to stop the minors from being exploited and sexually abused as underaged “ring boys.”

Law firm DiCello Levitt, which represents several of the alleged victims in the case, announced that motions made by WWE and the McMahons had been dismissed by U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

“This ruling affirms that our clients’ allegations deserve to be heard in court and marks a significant step forward for these survivors,” said Greg Gutzler, a partner at DiCello Levitt. “Through discovery, we will obtain documents and testimony that shed further light on who knew about this terrible abuse and how it was allowed to persist.

“We look forward to uncovering the truth and pursuing accountability for survivors who have waited decades to tell their stories.”

DiCello Levitt partner Adam Prom added: “For too long, these survivors carried this burden alone.

“We will fight vigorously to secure the justice they were denied for decades and pursue redress from those who failed to protect them.”

The discovery phase is a pre-trial period in a lawsuit where opposing parties formally exchange information, documents and evidence to learn the facts of the case.

What is the ‘Ring boys’ scandal?

The suit was filed anonymously in October 2024 in a Maryland court against McMahon, his wife Linda, WWE and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, and alleges negligence for allowing “systemic and pervasive abuse” of underage children.

The complaint and demand for a jury trial alleges the McMahons knew about and failed to stop decades of sexual assault — from the 1970s to early 1990s — involving former WWE ring crew chief Melvin Phillips Jr.

The complaint alleges Phillips, who died in 2012, hired underage boys — some as young as 12 — to assist the ring crew in preparation for shows, then groomed and abused them.

“Phillips’s real motivation in luring the ring boys with the promise of gaining access to the popular WWE events was to sexually abuse them,” the suits alleges, “And Vince McMahon knew it, admitting that he was aware, at least as early as the 1980s, that Phillips had a ‘peculiar and unnatural interest’ in young boys.”

McMahon denies claims

Jessica Rosenberg, an attorney for McMahon, said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports when the case was filed that the allegations are “false claims” and stem from New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick’s reporting of the alleged abuse 32 years ago.

“The negligence claims against Mr. McMahon that were asserted today rely on these same absurd, defamatory and utterly meritless statements by Mr. Mushnick. We will vigorously defend Mr. McMahon and are confident the court will find that these claims are untrue and unfounded,” Rosenberg said.

McMahon had admitted to Mushnick in the 1980s that he and Linda knew that Phillips had a “peculiar and unnatural interest” in boys, the suit says.

Phillips had been fired in 1988 amid sexual abuse allegations, but was rehired within six weeks with a warning to “steer clear from kids,” the filing alleges.

“By rehiring him, defendants allowed Phillips to continue abusing innocent kids,” the suit says.

It is alleged that sometimes Phillips would abuse the boys inside a WWE event dressing room and other times he would carry out the acts in hotel rooms.

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