Actor David Del Rio has been fired from the second season of CBS’ “Matlock” amid reports of a sexual assault investigation.
Though details of the allegations are scarce, Deadline reported Thursday that Del Rio was escorted off the Paramount Studios lot ― where “Matlock” is filmed ― on Oct. 2, the same day the incident was reported.
The alleged incident took place Sept. 26 and involved Del Rio’s co-star, Leah Lewis, according to the report.
Shortly after Deadline broke the news, Lewis released a brief statement on her Instagram Stories, alongside a photo.
“Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength,” she wrote. “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.”
In an email, a CBS Studios representative confirmed to HuffPost that Del Rio had exited “Matlock,” but declined additional comment on the report. A representative for Del Rio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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While Del Rio has not yet addressed the accusations publicly, his wife, Katherine, shared an image of Lewis to her Instagram Stories with the caption, “This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met,” according to multiple reports.
She also appeared to mimic Lewis’ post by sharing an image of her and an older woman, alongside a similarly worded caption.
Both posts appear to have since been deleted, or possibly expired.
A Florida native, Del Rio rose to prominence in the Nickelodeon series “The Troop,” which ran from 2009 to 2011. Other credits include “Pitch Perfect” and the short-lived Hulu series “Maggie,” as well as the Broadway musical “In The Heights.” He and his wife have been married since 2018 and share daughters Lily and Coco.
Del Rio’s portrayal of first-year associate lawyer Billy Martinez on “Matlock” was, by most accounts, a professional breakout. The series is a gender-flipped twist on the iconic Andy Griffith legal drama of the same name, which ran from 1986 to 1995, and stars Kathy Bates.
Since its 2024 premiere, the new “Matlock” has been a critical smash, with Bates nabbing Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her performance.
