Former Matlock actor David Del Rio has initiated legal proceedings against CBS Studios, which fired him after he was accused of sexual assault.
In an arbitration claim, Del Rio says evidence that undermines the allegations wasn’t fully considered before he was terminated. He will “present real-time text communications” and other material that “directly contradicts prior public characterizations of the interaction at issue,” said Shawn Holley, his lawyer, in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Del Rio, who played attorney Billy Martinez on the legal drama, was abruptly let go from the series following an incident involving him and an unnamed female member of the cast. CBS Studios, which produces Matlock, investigated, leading to the actor’s firing in October. He was escorted off the set and written off the show, though Del Rio had already filmed seven episodes of the second season.
Matlock has been a breakout hit for CBS, averaging 16 million cross-platform viewers over 35 days in its first season. The series, a meta-update of the 1980s and ’90s show featuring Andy Griffith, stars Kathy Bates as a lawyer who restarts her career at a New York firm, Leah Lewis, Skye P. Marshall and Jason Ritter.
It’s believed that the alleged assault involved Lewis. When the accusations against Del Rio surfaced last year, she nodded to the incident on Instagram. The post read, “Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Let that be the takeaway.”
A supplemental investigation was later launched into the allegation, according to a person familiar with the situation. The results corroborated the decision to fire Del Rio.
Holley called the allegations “false and misleading” and said it caused Del Rio “substantial professional and reputational harm.” She added that he “looks forward to resolving this matter through the appropriate legal forum and has faith that a full evidentiary review will establish the truth and restore his professional reputation.”
CBS Studios declined to comment.
The last two episodes of Matlock‘s first season revealed that the girlfriend of Del Rio’s Billy had a miscarriage, prompting him to take time off. When a character later asks about Billy’s absence, Lewis’ character responds that he’s “out sick.”
