Big Show and WWE getting sued by former employee

As our resident rumor monger Eric B. Stephen alluded to in his daily Rumor Roundup post here, Big Show and WWE are being sued by a former employee for an incident that occurred backstage at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) event back on Jan. 27, 2013.

That incident? An interview for WWE.com that the former employee felt crossed the line.

According to Courthouse News Service, Andrew Green is suing WWE and Big Show in Maricopa County Court because he was told to get an interview with Show backstage after his match with Alberto Del Rio and he was choked and hit in the face.

Here's more:

Green said his job was to do post-match interviews with wrestlers, which were posted to the WWE website or to YouTube.

He claims Wight initially refused to do the interview, until Green told him that WWE senior vice president Eric Pankowski wanted the wrestler to do it.

"In response, Big Show stated with the use of profanely indecent language that if Green wanted an interview then he would give him one, and to turn on the camera," the complaint states.

It continues: "Big Show toward Green enraged, shouting obscenities, and waving his fist in Green's face. Big Show then grabbed Green by the collar and throat, striking Green in the face and backing him up against a trunk while declaring 'You son of a bitch ... Are you having fun right now ... Don't even come up to me again ... I don't give a shit who you are'." (Ellipses in complaint.)

Apparently, Show asked to redo the interview so he could just walk away when asked questions and they shot that but Triple H didn't like it and wanted it shot for a third time. He asked Show to evoke the same emotion he did the first time but was told, allegedly by Show himself, that it was a "shoot" and he couldn't do it more than once because it was real the first time and contrived for this attempt.

So they ran the first interview on WWE.com and YouTube -- with all videos having since been taken down -- and they garnered upwards of 100,000 views, according to the complaint. Green also alleges "he was uncomfortable working around Big Show and the other wrestlers, nervous, and had 'a ton of anxiety' as a result of the attack."

The most interesting part comes here:

Green claims that WWE "encouraged its wrestlers, including Big Show, to act in a violent and threatening manner both inside and outside of the wrestling ring relative to their appearances and participation in staged wrestling events as a means of entertainment."

Green says in the complaint that WWE had previously "suspended or terminated Big Show's employment because of his behavior, including his engagement in violent and/or unlawful and/or improper activities outside of the wrestling venue."

We'll be sure to keep you up to date on the status of this lawsuit going forward.

Thoughts?