Ring Boys Scandal Lawsuit Against WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon, & Linda McMahon Update – Three Former WWE Ring Boys Join Lawsuit & Provide New Allegations Against Mel Phillips, Pat Patterson, & Koko B. Ware

As noted before, a lawsuit was filed this past October against WWE, WWE’s parent company TKO Group, former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon on behalf of the survivors of the infamous WWE Ring Boys scandal in 1992. Additional survivors recently joined as plaintiffs for the lawsuit following the Maryland Supreme Court upholding the Maryland Child Victims Act as being constitutional this past February.

Post Wrestling and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston reported that an amended lawsuit was filed on Monday before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland that expanded on the claims of negligence against WWE and Vince and Linda McMahon

Thurston reported that the new amended lawsuit includes new detailed allegations from three additional former WWE ring boys, who are identified as John Does 6, 7, and 8. Thurston also reported that the new amended lawsuit brings new allegations of child sexual abuse against Mel Phillips and one new allegation of child sexual abuse against Pat Patterson

In regards to John Doe 6, the filing stated that he met Phillips around 1988 when he was 11 or 12 years old. Doe 6 also claimed that after a WWE house show event on July 14, 1989, he was told he needed to stay in Patterson’s hotel room while other underage ring boys stayed in Phillips’ room. Doe 6 claimed that he was given alcohol, Patterson played pornography on the television, and Patterson had forced Doe 6 to give him oral sex and vice versa.

Thurston reported that this new amended lawsuit also contained a number of occasions when they interacted with or were in the presence of Vince and Linda McMahon for their claims that the McMahons had or should have had knowledge of the abuse that was going on in the company.

Doe 6 also claimed that at a show in Maine, he was grabbed in the crotch by Koko B. Ware in the WWE dressing room. Doe 6 also claimed that many other witnesses were 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.” 

Doe 6 also claimed that most others in the room laughed over the incident except Chimel who ““said something like, ‘don’t do that, let him go.’” Chimel was stated to have later told Doe 6 that he shouldn’t be on the ring crew and that he should run away.

Thurston reported that the amended lawsuit also identifies several potential witnesses including former WWE Community Relations Director Sue Aitchison, who had worked for the company for decades until her departure in 2024. Doe 6 claimed that during another WWF event, he was wrestling in the ring when Shane McMahon accidentally suffered an arm injury. This incident was stated to have been allegedly witnessed by Aitchison, Mike Chioda, and Chimel.

Thurston reported that the amended lawsuit does not clearly explain the point for its inclusion but speculated that it might be meant to support their claims that Vince and Linda McMahon were aware that underage boys were working on the ring crew due to their own son was injured while informally wrestling with a ring boy.

The amended lawsuit reportedly also included Doe 6 claiming that he had traveled with Phillips to around 10 WWE events between 1988 and 1992, including WrestleMania V in Atlantic City on April 2, 1989. The amended lawsuit reportedly also included photographs that purportedly show Doe 2 in attendance at WrestleMania V.

Doe 6 also acclaimed that Phillips sexually abused him after a July 21, 1992, WWF event in Portland, Maine. Thurston reported that this date is notable due to it would have been after Phillips’ reported exit from the WWF around March 1992.

In regards to John Doe 7, the filing stated that he had met Phillips in Philadelphia in 1974 when he was around 14 or 15 years old. Thurston reported that this is the earliest date of the meetings with Phillips alleged by the plaintiffs in the amended lawsuit.

Doe 7 claimed that he was sexually abused by Phillips in the course of working as a ring boy at WWF events. Doe 7 also claimed that this abuse also included at hotel rooms in Baltimore, Maryland and where he was given alcohol by Phillips. Thurston reported that the amended lawsuit goes in detail about Doe 7 was allegedly sexually abused by Phillips, including allegations of forced oral sex commuted by Phillips.

Thurston reported that Doe 7 claiming that some of the abuse taking place in Maryland is key to the plaintiffs’ case due to the statue of limitations in most other jurisdictions would make these allegations difficult or impossible to pursue.

The amended lawsuit reportedly acknowledges that Vince McMahon was a commentator in WWE at the time Doe 7 was allegedly abused. The filing also stated that Vincent J. McMahon was still in charge of the wrestling company at the time but claimed that the younger McMahon still had leadership responsibilities.

The younger Vince McMahon “acted and was treated by others as the de facto WWE boss, especially when on-site for WWE shows,” the plaintiffs’ attorney stated.

Doe 7 also claimed that he was abused by Phillips away from WWE events in Philadelphia and Phillips sometimes recorded the abuse with a video camera.

In regards to John Doe 8, the filing stated that he met Phillips when he was around 15 years old in 1982 in Baltimore while working concessions at the Baltimore Civic Center.

Doe 8 claimed that Phillips asked him to come to a WWE show on or around March 13, 1982 where he and another ring boy was allegedly given marijuana.

Doe 8 also claimed that Phillips had sexually abused him and another underage ring boy at a hotel before a WWE event in Baltimore on April 10, 1982. Doe 8 claimed that Phillips had told them to get undressed and Phillips, who was only wearing underwear, was stated to have allegedly put the boys’ “feet on his penis to compare sizes. Phillips was aroused.” Doe 8 also claimed that Phillips had offered cocaine and pills to them.

Thurston reported that recent comments from former ring boy Gerard Millette had also been added to the amended lawsuit. Thurston reported “Millette defends Phillips and doesn’t believe he abused the plaintiffs. However, the plaintiffs’ attorneys cite his statements to purportedly support their allegations. Millette’s comments, noting that there was wide knowledge of Phillips’ foot fetish and that he was often around kids, are mentioned.”

Thurston also reported that the new plaintiff claimed that he was paid in cash for working at the event. Thurston also reported that the amended lawsuit also stated that each plaintiff had received some form of compensation for their services, whether from cash payments, food, or lodging provided by the WWE. Thurston reported that detail is another important element to the plaintiffs’ case due to by establishing that the ring boys were compensated, even informally, this attempts to show that the company and its executives had a duty of care owed to them. Thurston also reported that this would be cited as evidence that the underage ring crew members were not just volunteers or independent bystanders but individuals the WWe was responsible for.