David Del Rio has been let go by CBS after his Matlock co-star Leah Lewis accused him of sexual assault.
On October 9, Deadline confirmed that Del Rio has been fired over the alleged incident which occurred on September 26. The outlet reported that the actor’s exit followed an internal investigation by the studio into the incident, which reportedly took place inside Lewis’ trailer on Paramount property.
Del Rio, 38, was officially dismissed from the show on October 2 and escorted off the studio lot by executive producer Eric Christian Olsen. His character, Billy Martinez, will now be written out of the series. Filming for Matlock’s second season is currently on hiatus until November, with production on the first half already complete.
In the aftermath of the news, Lewis — who portrays Sarah Franklin on the show — took to Instagram to address her followers, writing that she was focused on healing.
“Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands,” she wrote on Thursday, alongside a photo with her mother.
She added, “Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the takeaway.”
TVInsider reports that Del Rio’s wife hit back at Lewis in a since-deleted post, reacting to Lewis’ Stories and calling her “the most disturbing human being I have ever met.”
Del Rio himself is yet to speak out.
Matlock, a modern reboot of the classic 1980s courtroom drama, stars Kathy Bates as lead attorney Madeline “Matty” Matlock, alongside Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, and Lewis.
Season 2 of the series is set to premiere October 12.
