Riddle Lawsuit Status Update

As noted before, Riddle is currently facing a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by his accuser Candy Cartwright, real name Samantha Tavel. Both WWE and Gabe Sapolsky were dismissed as defendants of the lawsuit this past March while Riddle’s request to have the case dismissed was rejected by the court.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Riddle’s lawyers filed a Status Report to the court on April 21st stating that they had attempted to contact Cartwright’s lawyers over the possibility of filing a joint status report but were not contacted back.

Mr. Riddle proposes the following discovery plan:

(a) Electronically stored information (“ESI”) will be furnished in PDF or .TIFF format, unless another format is otherwise agreed upon. Prior to conducting any ESI discovery, the parties shall meet and confer on a list of custodians and search terms.

(b) The parties will seek, prior to the production of any documents, a protective order limiting the use of certain documents produced in connection with the litigation of the instant case, and mandating that each party will destroy all documents produced to it by the opposing party following the final appeal of the instant case.

(c) The parties will make all initial disclosures within 30 days of the Joint Status or by May 21, 2021.

(d) The parties do not currently anticipate calling any expert witness in this matter, but reserve the right to do so.

(e) Physical or mental examinations of any party whose mental or physical condition is in controversy are not anticipated.

(f) All discovery will be completed by December 31, 2021. Any written interrogatories or requests for production shall be served no later than thirty (30) days before the discovery cut-off, a date that allows the served parties the full thirty (30) days as provided by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in which to answer or produce by the discovery cut-off date. This does not limit the parties’ ability to demand that the other side fully respond to disputed discovery requests.

(g) No other matter is pertinent to the completion of discovery at this time

Johnson also reported that Riddle currently is expecting to file a Summary Judgement request against Tavel within the near future. This reportedly is a motion arguing why his case should be dismissed.

Riddle’s report also stated that while Tavel is seeking a jury trial, Riddle does not believe it to be necessary and instead only wants the presiding judge to rule over the case should a trial take place and be completed.

It was also reported that Riddle is claiming that Tavel is “demanded $10,000,000.000 to settle” and is currently not considering a “magistrate-led settlement conference at this time.”

Johnson reported that Riddle and his lawyers currently believe that the earliest both sides could go to trial would be in May of 2022.