TNA Parent Company Files Lawsuit Against Gail Kim

As noted before, former TNA Head of Talent Relations and Producing Gail Kim was fired from TNA Wrestling in March of 2025 as part of a larger batch of firings and management teams shakeup by TNA’s parent company Anthem affecting both companies.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions, LLC, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and TNA’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against Kim before The Nashville Chancery Court in Tennessee on January 10th.

Johnson reported that this lawsuit revolves around Kim informing the company that after she was let go in March of 2025 that “she believes she holds legal claims against AWE for violations of the Florida Private Whistleblower Act.”  These alleged violations reportedly were not listed in the lawsuit.

Anthem reportedly brought the lawsuit forward over their claims that based on the nature of Kim’s contract with the company, all issues between the two sides should be governed by Tennessee law instead.

In the lawsuit, it was stated that the company and Kim entered into a Services Agreement contract in September of 2022 that included “talent relations, match production, and performer services. Kim also  agreed to identify and support new revenue, business, and growth opportunities for AWE.” This agreement was stated to have expired at the end of 2024 and both sides had agreed to continue on a month to month basis.

Anthem also claimed that their Booking Agreement for Kim was non-exclusive and that she had the right to provide wrestling and other entertainment services “to other customers” based on certain limitations, including an agreement not to provide wrestling services to any competitors.

Anthem also claimed that the Booking Agreement stated that Kim “will at all times be an independent contractor (and not an employee or agent of [AWE]); therefore, [Kim] will not participate in any benefit plans or programs that [AWE] provides or may provide to its employees, including, but not limited to, pension, profit-sharing, medical, dental, workers’ compensation, occupational injury, life insurance and vacation or sick benefits.”

In the lawsuit, Anthem stated that Kim worked primarily in talent relations and production, but did wrestle on one occasion, worked from her home, was not provided an office space and did not work for the company full-time, as she continued to engage in other “independent projects”, including The Amazing Race – Canada and The Traitors Canada reality television series. The lawsuit also stated Kim received a 1099 for all payments and receieved another for her work that ended in 2025.

In the lawsuit, it was stated that Kim’s working relationship with the company ended after a “strategic decision to restructure.” It was also stated that “In connection with AWE’s restructuring, the former President of the Sports Group for AWE Sports & Entertainment, Anthony Ciccione, stepped down from his role in May 2025.”

Anthem is claiming that since Kim was an independent contractor, she does not have any “legally cognizable claims” against them based on Florida law.

Anthem reportedly is asking the court to officially declare that all disputes between the company and Kim will be governed by Tennessee law and that Kim may not assert claims against them for alleged violations of Florida state statues. The company is also asking the court to declare that Kim was indeed an independent contractor. Johnson reported that this would negate any of Kim’s claims that she “has threatened to bring under the Florida Private Whistleblower Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

In the lawsuit, Anthem stated that their company “has a real legally protectable interest at stake, namely its rights under the Services Agreement and the Booking Agreement which it negotiated and for which it paid Kim.”

Anthem reportedly are also seeking an award of “reasonable: attorneys’ fees and court costs.

Johnson reported that current court records do not indicate whether Kim has been served with the lawsuit yet.