Settlement Reached In ‘American Nightmare’ Lawsuit Involving Cody Rhodes And WWE

A settlement has been reached in principle in the lawsuit brought by musician Wesley Eisold against Cody Runnels (Cody Rhodes), WWE, and its merchandise partner Fanatics.

According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, the parties notified the court on Tuesday that they’ve agreed to resolve the case over the “American Nightmare” trademark, pending the drafting and execution of a written settlement agreement.

Eisold filed the lawsuit in September 2024 in federal court in California, alleging that WWE and Fanatics violated a 2021 agreement he made with Rhodes by selling apparel prominently displaying “American Nightmare” without sufficient reference to Runnels or otherwise making it clear that the item was associated with wrestling and not Eisold’s band.

The 2021 agreement between Cody Rhodes and Eisold involved a $30,000 payment that allowed Rhodes to use “American Nightmare” as a wrestling brand as long as the merchandise made it clear that it was a reference to Rhodes and not Eisold’s band.

Eisold was seeking damages of at least $150,000, and also possible treble damages, meaning the court might order the defendants to pay up to three times the amount of actual damages if it found the infringement was willful.