Judge Rules Plaintiffs In WWE ‘Ring Boy’ Lawsuit May Continue Anonymity

The plaintiffs in the WWE “ring boy” lawsuit will be allowed to maintain their anonymity in the lawsuit following a ruling by the judge on the matter. As you may recall, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon filed a motion asking to keep using their “John Doe” names in the suit. The plaintiffs argued that while their names are known to parties in the lawsuit, exposing their names to the public record would expose them to the risk of being re-traumatized when the internet learns their identities.

Brandon Thurston reported for POST Wrestling that Judge James K. Bredar ruled on Thursday that the plaintiffs will be allowed to keep their names anonymous on the public record. The judge acknowledged that there keeping the defendants’ names anonymous to the public could make finding witnesses who may have knowledge that helps the defendants harder to find. However, he ruled that those risks were not enough to supersede the risk to the plaintiffs of having their identities learned by the public.

Vince and Linda McMahon had filed oppositions to the motion by the plaintiffs, while WWE and TKO (also named as defendants) took no position on the anonymity matter.

The identities of the plaintiffs are already known to all parties in the lawsuit, and the anonymity only applies to the public record. Lawyers for Vince McMahon had requested conditions on the anonymity, and the judge told the opposing sides to discuss and jointly submit a protective order within 30 which includes some conditions. Among the conditions are a provision that the plaintiffs’ identities may be shared with witnesses and investigators without requiring said people to formally agree to the protective order’s terms. However, McMahon’s request to forbid the plaintiffs and their attorneys from making public statements while the case was denied.

The lawsuit was filed by the plaintiffs in October 2024 and alleges that former WWE employees Mel Phillips and Terry Garvin abused the plaintiffs, claiming that Vince and Linda McMahon were aware of it but did nothing.

If you know someone who is being abused, or if you yourself a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Call 1-800-656-4673 to be connected with the National Sexual Assault Hotline.