WWE STAR MONTEZ FORD SUED OVER ALLEGED RINGSIDE LAP DANCE
An off-duty sheriff’s officer working ringside security filed a Montez Ford lawsuit over an alleged lap dance during a WWE entrance.
Noel Lucas, a Cook County sheriff’s officer, filed suit against WWE and wrestler Montez Ford, whose legal name is Kenneth Crawford, on October 14, 2026. The alleged incident happened July 6, 2026, during Ford’s entrance at a Monday Night Raw event at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
The complaint alleges Ford performed a “sexually provocative dance immediately in front of and over Plaintiff [Lucas], repeatedly thrusting and gyrating his hips and pelvis towards Plaintiff, performing a sexualized ‘lap dance,’” TMZ reported.
Lucas alleges Ford approached him without warning or consent. The alleged dance came during an entrance, not a wrestling match.
What the lawsuit claims
Lucas was working an off-duty security job and had been told to sit in a seat outside the ring for his post. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the complaint says Ford “approached him without warning, straddled him, and began repeatedly thrusting and gyrating his hips toward him in a sexually suggestive manner.”
His attorneys told FOX 32 Chicago that Lucas was not told he would be part of the performance and did not consent.
The lawyers also said, “the nature of the entertainment event does not excuse the conduct or eliminate the requirement of consent.”
Lucas alleges videos of the moment went viral and were posted to WWE’s and Ford’s social media pages. He alleges he was recognized and mocked online and at work, which he called humiliating, and that his children were mocked too.
The suit names WWE as a defendant. Yahoo Sports reported the defendants also include Event Services, LLC, a WWE subsidiary.
Lucas is suing for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. The complaint contains 14 counts in all, including claims under the Illinois Gender Violence Act and the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.
Who Ford is
Ford was 36 at the time of TMZ’s report and had been with WWE for 11 years. He is a tag-team partner of Angelo Dawkins in the Street Profits.
The pair have captured the NXT Tag Team Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, SmackDown Tag Team Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship, among other titles.
What happens next
Lucas seeks an unspecified amount in compensation for emotional distress, plus punitive damages and legal fees or costs. He also wants an order barring the defendants from using his identity, and he requested a jury trial.
A case-management hearing is set for December 10, 2026.
