A former WWE writer is suing the organization for firing her after she spoke out about racist scripts.
Britney Abrahams, who is Black, says she was employed from November 2020 to April 2022. During her time as a writer for “WWE SmackDown!” and “WWE Monday Night RAW,” she says she experienced racist remarks in the writer’s room. In one instance, lead writer Ryan Callahan wanted to pen a storyline about a Saudi Arabian-born wrestler being responsible for the 9/11 attacks. In another, Callahan suggested that an Australian wrestler “hunt” a Black wrestler and keep him held captive inside a cage. When Abrahams spoke out against this, Callahan allegedly asked sarcastically, “OH, WHAT? IS THAT A BAD THING?”
In another situation, Abrahams says WWE senior writer Chris Dunn wrote a script for Black professional wrestler Bianca Belair, where she’d repeat, “Uh-uh! Don’t make me take off my earrings and beat your a**!” Abrahams called out this scene for containing “racial jargon and offensive stereotypes,” immediately bringing it to Callahan’s attention. Belair allegedly told Abrahams that she didn’t want to recite this line.
Abrahams says she was ultimately terminated for speaking out against Callahan and others within the writer’s room. However, the organization claims she was actually fired for taking company property. According to WWE, Abrahams took home a commemorative chair from WrestleMania 38. She disputes this, stating that superiors permitted writers to take chairs home, and those who did were not fired. The former employee officially filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Tuesday.
In addition to Callahan and Dunn, the suit also calls out WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, former WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon, and several others on the writing staff.
