David Del Rio Fired From Matlock Amid Sexual Assault Allegation

LOS ANGELES, CA — Actor David Del Rio has been fired from the CBS legal drama Matlock following an internal investigation into a sexual assault allegation, sources confirmed. The alleged incident reportedly took place on September 26 and involved fellow cast member Leah Lewis.

After a report of the incident came to light on October 2, Matlock’s producers and CBS Studios acted swiftly. Del Rio was escorted off the studio lot the same day, with Matlock executive producer Eric Christian Olsen among those present during the dismissal.

Despite the sudden departure, filming for Matlock has continued. The series has a planned hiatus next week after completing production on half of its upcoming season, with plans to resume work after Thanksgiving. The creative team faces the challenge of reworking scripts to write Del Rio’s character out of the show.

In Matlock, Del Rio portrayed Billy Martinez, a first-year associate at the law firm featured in the series. The show stars Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a widowed lawyer, alongside Skye P. Marshall and Leah Lewis. The series has previously addressed the topic of sexual assault, including in a storyline where Matlock represents a young lawyer claiming she was assaulted by her boss.

The second season of Matlock is set to premiere on October 12.