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former Matlock Actor David Del Rio has begun legal action against CBS Studios, which fired him after he was accused of sexual assault.
In the arbitration filing, Del Rio says evidence undermining the allegations was not fully considered before his termination. Sean Holley, his attorney, said in a statement released Wednesday that he “will present real-time text communications” and other material that “directly contradicts previous public characterizations of the interaction in question.”
Del Rio, who played attorney Billy Martinez on the legal drama, was abruptly let go from the series following an incident in which he was involved with an unnamed female cast member. CBS Studios, which produces MatlockIt was investigated which led to the actor being fired in October. He was escorted off the set and the show was written off, even though del Rio had already filmed seven episodes of the second season.
Matlock It was a huge hit for CBS, averaging 16 million viewers across platforms over 35 days in its first season. The series is a meta-update of the 80s/90s show featuring Andy Griffith, Leah Lewis, Skye B. Marshall, and Jason Ritter playing Kathy Bates as a lawyer resuming her career at a New York firm.
The alleged assault is believed to have involved Lewis. When the accusations against Del Rio surfaced last year, she referenced the incident on Instagram. The post read: “Mom here. We are moving forward with love and strength. I am in good hands. Thank you everyone for any kind of support and care. Truly, we are moving forward with strength. Key word, strength. Let that be the takeaway.”
An additional investigation was later launched into the allegation, according to a person familiar with the situation. The results confirmed the decision to dismiss Del Rio.
Hawley called the allegations “false and misleading” and said they had caused Del Rio “significant professional and reputational harm.” She added that he “looks forward to resolving this matter through the appropriate legal forum, and is confident that a full review of the evidence will determine the truth and restore his professional reputation.”
CBS Studios declined to comment.
The last two episodes of MatlockDel Rio’s first season revealed that Del Rio’s girlfriend Billie had a miscarriage, prompting him to take a leave of absence. When a character later asks about Billy’s absence, Lewis’ character answers that he is “sick.”
