WWE Star Accused Of Ass@ult After Alleged Lap Dance On Off-Duty Sheriff’s Officer Goes Viral

WWE wrestler Montez Ford is facing a lawsuit from a security guard who alleges that the professional wrestler performed a “sexualized lap dance” on him during a live Netflix broadcast of Monday Night Raw.

The security guard, Noel Lucas, filed a lawsuit against Ford, whose real name is Kenneth Crawford, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), accusing them of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other alleged violations.

According to details contained in the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the incident allegedly occurred on July 6 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, as Ford and his Street Profits tag-team partner, Angelo Dawkins, made their entrance ahead of a televised match.

Lucas, an officer with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department who was reportedly working off-duty security at the event, alleged that Ford approached him without warning or consent and began dancing in a sexually provocative manner.

The lawsuit claimed Ford repeatedly thrust and gyrated his hips and pelvis towards Lucas, allegedly performing what the security guard described as a “sexualized lap dance.” It further alleged that Ford moved progressively closer to him during the encounter, causing the wrestler’s left inner thigh to repeatedly rub against Lucas’ leg.

The complaint reportedly contains 14 counts, including allegations under the Illinois Gender Violence Act.

Lucas further claimed that footage of the encounter spread widely across social media, attracting hundreds of thousands of views, including on accounts belonging to WWE and Ford.

According to the lawsuit, the incident allegedly had consequences beyond the wrestling event. Lucas claimed that when he returned to his regular duties at a courthouse the following day, members of the public recognised him from the circulating videos and mocked him by imitating the movements allegedly seen during the broadcast.

He also alleged that his children were ridiculed at school because of the footage.

The security guard claimed the incident had caused him humiliation, embarrassment and emotional distress, adding that the continued availability of the video online had prolonged the alleged impact.

In addition to the personal injury claims, Lucas accused Ford and WWE of using his image for commercial purposes without his permission, citing the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.

He is seeking unspecified monetary compensation, punitive damages, legal fees and a court order preventing the defendants from using his identity without authorisation.

Ford joined WWE in 2015 and later formed the Street Profits tag team with Dawkins in 2017. The duo went on to win tag-team championships across NXT, Raw and SmackDown, becoming WWE Tag Team Triple Crown champions in 2020.

The allegations outlined in the lawsuit have not been established in court. Ford and WWE’s responses to the claims were not included in the information available about the filing.