Wrestling’s #SpeakingOut Week Brought Allegations and Departures

In June 2020, wrestlers and fans began publicly sharing accounts of abuse and misconduct under the hashtag #SpeakingOut. By June 19, ProWrestling.net was reporting numerous disclosures involving wrestlers and promoters, following a former girlfriend’s allegation against independent wrestler David Starr. Within days, promotions were announcing removals, suspensions and reviews, while several accused wrestlers denied the claims against them.

Starr’s former girlfriend, identified as Tori, accused him of sexual assault and abuse. He denied the allegations, while describing himself as “an awful partner.” By June 21, the Montgomery Advertiser reported that independent promotions had cut ties with him and that he had been stripped of championships in RevPro U.K., OTT, TNT Extreme and Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Those were professional consequences following the allegations, not findings that established them.

For independent wrestler Candy Cartwright, reading other women’s accounts was part of her decision to speak publicly. Accusing WWE wrestler Matt Riddle of sexual assault, she wrote: “I’m posting this because I have been so sad for so long.” She added that the other stories had helped her recognize that she could not be afraid to speak out. Riddle’s lawyer, Daniel Rose, called her allegations “completely false” and described them as another attempt to harass and humiliate the Riddle family.

The responses were not uniform. After Hannah Francesca accused NXT UK wrestler Jordan Devlin of abuse and posted photographs showing bruises, WWE said it took such allegations seriously and was looking into the matter. Devlin subsequently denied the allegation entirely, calling it false and saying he was working with a legal team. PROGRESS Wrestling announced that Devlin and Scotty Davis were suspended indefinitely; Starr, Travis Banks, Ligero and referee Marc “Paz” Parry would no longer work with the promotion. “Those under suspension will have their situation reviewed periodically between now, and events starting again,” PROGRESS said at the time.

The disruption also reached promotion management. NWA vice president David Lagana resigned after wrestler Liz Savage accused him of sexual assault. NWA announced that production of its content was temporarily halted pending a restructuring of executive management. On June 24, amid allegations concerning misogynistic, racist and homophobic language and announcements by roster members, including Kimber Lee and Dasher Hatfield, that they would no longer work there, CHIKARA owner Mike Quackenbush announced that the promotion would cease operating.

In Vancouver, ECCW removed ownership-team member Jeff Duncan following allegations that included inappropriate texts and touching women at shows. Several wrestlers quit the promotion, among them its Canadian champion, Travis Williams. ECCW’s public statement said members implicated in allegations had been removed and that wrestling should be a safe space for everyone. It offered no further comment.

Alongside the accusations and employment announcements came accounts that did not supply a clear answer about what had happened. On June 24, NXT wrestler Keith Lee shared a memory from Dallas, around 2016 or 2017. He said he had declined a woman’s request for sex; later, his recollection became fuzzy. He remembered struggling to reach a stage, stumbling toward a car and waking naked in a hotel room, confused and panicked. “To this day … I know not what happened,” he wrote. He said the experience was why he had stopped drinking and why drinking remained rare for him.