A former WWE writer is suing World Wrestling Entertainment and several individuals, alleging discriminatory treatment, harassment, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, unlawful retaliation against the Plaintiff due to her race, color, and gender.
In a suit filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, it is alleged that Vince McMahon and WWE discriminated against former WWE writer Britney Abrahams.
Abrahams, a former WWE writer from 2020 to 2022, filed a lawsuit on April 25 against Vince McMahon and other WWE executives over alleged racial and gender stereotypes in scripts and wrongful termination. The lawsuit includes Stephanie McMahon, Chris Lubrando (SVP, Creative Writing Operations at WWE), WWE creative team members Chris Dunn, Ryan Callahan, Jen Pepperman, and former team member Mike Heller.
Abrahams alleges that she was discriminated against and fired for objecting to “offensively racist and stereotypical jargon” in scripts for black performers. Abrahams claims that her complaints were ignored. A line written for Bianca Belair stating “Uh-Uh, don’t make me take off my earrings and beat your ass”, was, in Abrahams’ words, based upon “cruel, ugly stereotypes of dark-skinned, black women.”
Abrahams also claims that Belair herself was uncomfortable with the line and repeatedly said that she didn’t want to say it.
A further example relates to Apollo Crews speaking with a “stereotypical and exaggerated Nigerian accent.” The lawsuit also cites “discriminatory pitches” for Reggie (Scrypts in NXT) where he would be “hunted” by Shane Thorne and a love triangle between Mansoor, Aliyah and Angel Garza which would be centred around a secret that the Saudi Arabian wrestler would try and keep hidden.
When WWE lead writer Ryan Callahan was asked what the secret would be, he threw out the idea that Mansoor was behind the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. At the time, Abrahams brought up her issues with the multiple stories, which were almost entirely ignored by management.
Abrahams states that when she and other complained about Callahan’s 9/11 pitch, Vice President Christine Lubrano allegedly responded, “Wacky things are said in the writer’s room all the time.”
Abrahams alleges she was fired by the company for taking a commemorative WrestleMania 37 chair home. In the years before she made her complaints, “WWE did not subject employees to disciplinary action in response to taking the removable, temporary seating, limited edition WrestleMania branded chairs, from the WrestleMania events.”
Abrahams is seeking, “An award of damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but in any event in excess of the jurisdictional limit of any other court which might otherwise have jurisdiction over this matter, plus prejudgment interest, to compensate Plaintiffs for all monetary and/or economic damages, including but not limited to, the loss of past and future income, wages, compensation, seniority, and other benefits of employment.”
WWE has given no public statement at this time.