Actor David Del Rio has been fired from the series Matlock following a sexual assault allegation filed by his co-star, Leah Lewis.
According to sources who spoke to Deadline last week, Del Rio was escorted off the set. This occurred weeks after an internal investigation into the incident was conducted.
No specific details have been publicly revealed, and CBS has declined to comment. The situation is already impacting the show.
Lewis Responds with ‘Strength’
After the news of Del Rio’s firing broke, Leah Lewis took to Instagram to confirm that she is the alleged accuser.
She shared a heartfelt message via her official Instagram. She posted a picture of herself hugging her mother, explaining that she is “moving forward in love and strength,” and thanking her fans and supporters who “had her back” during the ordeal.
“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,” Lewis captioned the photo.
Lewis, who plays the smart, fiercely skeptical associate Sarah Franklin on the show, previously spoke highly of Del Rio in a September 2024 interview with Us Weekly. She said, “David Del Rio, who plays Billy, who plays kind of, like, my counterpart, I’ve learned so much about comedy from him… He had one of the largest personalities and skill sets that I’ve ever been able to work with. So, it’s been playtime.”
Character to Be Killed Off Mid-Season
Matlock, the reboot of the iconic legal series starring Kathy Bates, returned on October 12th. Del Rio, 38, who played the unlucky-in-love first-year associate Billy Martinez, had already filmed approximately half of the season. Given the circumstances, his character will now be written off or killed off mid-season.
The firing ends what was Del Rio’s biggest acting role to date, following regular cast member spots on the short-lived shows Maggie and The Baker and the Beauty. He also has a notable theater background, having performed on Broadway in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights.
Del Rio’s Wife Posts Viral Message
The situation developed further after Del Rio’s wife, Katherine Del Rio, posted on social media. She shared a close-up photo of Leah Lewis on Instagram with the comment, “This is the most disturbing human being I’ve ever met.” Following this, Lewis unfollowed Katherine’s Instagram account, and Del Rio’s spouse appears to have since blocked Lewis. Katherine later deleted the message.
None of the other Matlock stars have spoken out publicly on the scandal so far, but many have subtly and quickly shown their support for Lewis.
The show is currently on hiatus, but production for the second half of season 2 is set to resume after Thanksgiving in November. The producers of the series have declined to comment on the news.
