‘Matlock’ Star David Del Rio Fired Following Sexual Assault Allegation

“Matlock” actor David Del Rio has been fired from the CBS series following a sexual assault allegation, Variety has confirmed.

According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Del Rio was escorted off the set of “Matlock” last week following an internal investigation. “Matlock” co-star Leah Lewis, according to the source, affirmatively confirmed her involvement in the incident. (In its original report, Variety didn’t name Lewis in accordance with standard journalistic practice for sexual assault allegations.)

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On Thursday afternoon, Lewis posted a photo on her Instagram stories of herself hugging her mother, captioned: “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. Please, let that be the takeaway.”

Approximately half of the second season of “Matlock” has been filmed to date, with a pre-planned hiatus scheduled for next week. Del Rio had the role of Billy Martinez, a first-year associate at Jacobson Moore. His character will be written out of the series for future episodes. He and Lewis worked closely together, playing the younger colleagues of Kathy Bates’ Madeline Kingston.

CBS Studios declined to comment.

“Matlock” Season 2 is slated to debut on CBS on Oct. 12. Bates as stars in the series as Madeline Kingston, aka “Matty” Matlock, described as “a brilliant septuagenarian who achieved success in her younger years and decides to rejoin the work force at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases all while investigating a deeply personal secret of her own.”

The show earned a speedy second season renewal following its premiere in October 2024. In addition to being popular with audiences, critics have also praised Bates’ performance, with the actress earning an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for the first season.

Jennie Snyder Urman developed “Matlock” and serves as executive producer. Joanna Klein, Eric Christian Olsen, Kat Coiro, and Bates also executive produce. CBS Studios produces. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with Leah Lewis’ name and post on Instagram.