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The following press release was issued:
WWE ‘Ring Boys’ Sexual Abuse Case Moves to Discovery
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Allows Majority of Survivors’ Claims to Proceed
NEW YORK – December 11, 2025 – The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland has largely denied motions to dismiss filed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), TKO Group Holdings, and Vince and Linda McMahon in the “Ring Boys” child sexual abuse case, allowing the majority of survivors’ claims to proceed to discovery. In a detailed memorandum, Judge James K. Bredar held that plaintiffs plausibly alleged WWE’s duty and knowledge, and that claims against the defendants may move forward.
DiCello Levitt—together with Murphy, Falcon & Murphy—represents the survivors in the case, Does 1–8 v. WWE, et al., which will now move to discovery.
“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 who leads the litigation. “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.”
“For too long, these survivors carried this burden alone,” added DiCello Levitt Partner Adam Prom. “We will fight vigorously to secure the justice they were denied for decades and pursue redress from those who failed to protect them.”
For years, WWE employees lured underaged boys—known as “Ring Boys”—to assist with WWE’s wrestling events. These boys, many from vulnerable backgrounds, were groomed, exploited, and sexually abused by WWE’s ringside announcer, Melvin Phillips Jr., and another WWE executive.
The abuse occurred not only at wrestling venues, but also in hotels used in connection with WWE’s events, often in plain sight of WWE executives and wrestlers. Despite widespread knowledge of Phillips’s predatory behavior, WWE leadership—including Vince and Linda McMahon—failed to properly intervene or prevent the abuse, which allowed it to continue.
As the case advances into discovery, the litigation is led by a seasoned team: DiCello Levitt’s Greg Gutzler with Adam Prom, Mark DiCello, Bobby DiCello, and Emma Bruder, alongside Murphy, Falcon & Murphy’s William H. “Billy” Murphy, Jr.
About DiCello Levitt
At DiCello Levitt, we’re dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through class action, antitrust, environmental, mass tort, securities, financial services, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, personal injury, and civil and human rights litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens’ rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.
DiCello Levitt has achieved top recognition as Plaintiffs Firm of the Year and Trial Innovation Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal, in addition to its top-tier Chambers and Benchmark ratings. For more information about the firm, including recent trial victories and case resolutions, please visit www.dicellolevitt.com.
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PWInsider.com is currently going through the court documents and will follow up with additional reporting accordingly.
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