Cody Rhodes Reaches Settlement In Ongoing Lawsuit

Cody Rhodes might be putting his out-of-the-ring issues behind him, as a settlement has been reached in an ongoing lawsuit.

Lead singer and founder of the band American Nightmare, Wesley Eisold, filed a lawsuit against Cody Rhodes, WWE, and Fanatics, alleging trademark infringement, breach of contract, and intentional interference with contractual relations back in 2024.

Eisold holds the trademark for “American Nightmare” for use in music, clothing, and entertainment services and has done so since 2016. In 2019, Rhodes attempted to trademark the phrase for use in wrestling, but the filing was opposed by Eisold.

The two sides eventually reached a settlement in 2021 where “Eisold consented to Runnels’ registration of “The American Nightmare” in connection solely with class 41, i.e., entertainment services.”

As part of the settlement, Rhodes was allowed to use “The American Nightmare” on merchandise on the condition that it featured his name, likeness, or wrestling imagery 75% bigger than any “American Nightmare” text.

In exchange, Rhodes made a one-off payment of $30,000 to Eisold. However, Eisold later claimed that Rhodes, WWE, and Fanatics have breached this agreement. The filing alleges that the defendants “blatantly violate” the original agreement.

Cody Rhodes & WWE Reach Settlement

Now, Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling has reported that a settlement appears to have been reached. All parties involved informed the court that they’ve agreed to resolve the case, pending the drafting and execution of a written settlement agreement.

The court has been asked to stay and administratively close the case while the process is completed. A joint stipulation formally dismissing the case within 90 days is expected, and settlement terms were not disclosed.