Samantha Tavel, who wrestles on the independent scene as Candy Cartwright announced during a press conference in Chicago that she would be filing a lawsuit against WWE superstar Matt Riddle, World Wrestling Entertainment, the defunct EVOLVE Wrestling promotion and an unnamed co-founder of EVOLVE Wrestling, according to a report from The Chicago Sun-Times.

The report notes that in her lawsuit, Tavel is seeking $10 million against each of the Defendants, stemming from her allegations which became public during the Speaking Out movement online, where she alleged that Riddle choked and forced her to perform oral sex on him in May 2018 and that while the initial allegation referenced that the incident took place inside a van, Cartwright has since revealed in her press conference that the incident took place on a bus that was leaving an EVOLVE Wrestling event in Summit, Illinois, which is why the lawsuit was being filed before the Cook County Court.

The report adds that Tavel was allegedly approached for sex by Riddle, who she was in a relationship, but said that she was not comfortable having sex on the bus, because of the other wrestlers being present, with Tavel’s attorney stating that the alleged incident was among a multitude of sexual assaults committed by Riddle against Tavel, alleging that Tavel was assaulted multiple times between 2017 and January 2020 by Riddle. Tavel’s attorney also took aim at the WWE, claiming that the WWE has painted a picture over the course of the years that female performers are to comply with certain rules and that the WWE, since its inception, has hyper-sexualized female performers and that they have profited from male aggression against these female performers. Tavel’s attorney also stated that he is hoping that once they are presented with a copy of the lawsuit that the Summit, Illinois Poilce Department and Cook County State’s attorney’s office will investigate and press charges against Riddle.

The report states that EVOLVE Wrestling is being sued as Tavel alleges that once she refused to continue performing forced sexual acts with Riddle, she was fired by EVOLVE Wrestling in January 2020, with the promotion claiming at the time that she was let go due to issues with talent.

WWE responded to the reports stating, “WWE has not been served with a lawsuit by Ms. Tavel. However, if served, we will vigorously defend ourselves and contest it.”