Rita Filicoski is a retired professional wrestling referee, best known for being the first woman to referee in the WWF (now WWE) in 1984. She was born in Albany, New York, and became involved in wrestling after the death of her brother, who dreamed of becoming a wrestler. Unable to pursue a career as a wrestler due to health issues, she trained as a referee.
Chatterton gained recognition during WWF's "Rock 'n' Wrestling" era, but her career was marked by a sexual assault accusation against Vince McMahon in 1986, which she publicly revealed in 1992. After leaving WWF in 1993, she worked as a youth counselor. In the 2020s, she returned to the wrestling world, being inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame and signing with AEW in 2025, though she did not participate actively.
In 2022, her allegations against McMahon resurfaced, leading her to file a lawsuit. McMahon settled for a multimillion-dollar amount in 2022. Her story is significant both for her pioneering career as a referee and her brave fight for justice.
