- Matlock star David Del Rio was fired earlier this month, following an internal investigation of a sexual assault allegation involving co-star Leah Lewis.
- Leah Lewis commented on the incident in a since-deleted Instagram Story.
- Matlock season 2 is still set to premiere Sunday, Oct. 12, before moving to its regular Thursday night time slot.
On Thursday, October 9, news broke that David Del Rio was abruptly fired from CBS’s hit show Matlock after an investigation into an alleged sexual assault. According to Deadline, the alleged incident occurred on set on September 26 and involved his co-star Leah Lewis. It was promptly reported and investigated by the studio, resulting in David’s immediate firing on October 2, per the outlet. He was reportedly walked off set.
Not much is known about the incident that led to the firing (or how Matlock will retool its second season to explain the series regular’s sudden absence), but was is evident is how rare this type of action is in Hollywood—and how significant it is that the studio acted so swiftly. Allow me to explain.
Who is David Del Rio?
David Del Rio is an actor who who appeared in bit parts in everything from the Pitch Perfect franchise—he was a member of The Treblemakers—to Grease Live! before booking a supporting role in The Baker and the Beauty in 2020.
On Matlock, David played the supporting role of Billy Martinez, a young lawyer who befriends Kathy Bates’ Madeleine Matlock and frequently works alongside his friend and co-worker, Sarah Franklin, played by Leah Lewis.
![los angeles, california may 05: (l r) david del rio, leah lewis, kathy bates, skye p. marshall and jason ritter attend fyc event for matlock hosted by cbs at directors guild of america on may 05, 2025 in los angeles, california. (photo by amy sussman/getty images)](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-2213649201-68e9141ec5cf9.jpg?resize=980:* "CBS Hosts FYC Event For "Matlock"")
Why was David Del Rio fired?
As previously noted, David was fired after an internal investigation into a sexual assault allegation. The details are unconfirmed, with Deadline reporting that the alleged assault occurred on set and in Leah’s trailer earlier this month. CBS has not yet released an official statement on the matter, nor has anyone involved with the show.
David has not yet commented on his firing or any allegations against him. According to Us Weekly, however, his wife Katherine Del Rio did appear to comment in a since-deleted Instagram Story. The post reportedly featured a close-up image of Leah with the words, “This is the most disturbing human I have ever met.”
What has Leah Lewis said?
After news of David's firing broke on Thursday, Leah took to her Instagram Stories to share a photo of herself and her mother, as reported by People. “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,” she wrote. “Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the take away.”
The story has since been deleted, but not before it was seemingly copied by Katherine Del Rio. According to Deadline, Katherine shared a photo of herself and her own mother with the caption, “Mom is here. We are moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you for all the love and support!” That story has also been deleted.
How will David’s firing affect Matlock season 2?
As of Friday, Matlock season 2 is still set to premiere Sunday, October 12, and the first batch of episodes will presumably continue to feature David. However, fans can expect that to change as we approach the winter hiatus.
Per Deadline, production on the first half of Matlock season 2 was meant to wrap next week for a pre-planned production hiatus, with filming picking back up after Thanksgiving. That said, David’s abrupt departure will also require some rewriting behind-the-scenes so that his character can be written off.
Why does this matter?
David’s firing from Matlock is, sadly, a huge anomaly in how television studios have dealt with sexual assault allegations. This decisive action could signify that new processes put in place after the #MeToo movement took over Hollywood in 2018 are actually working. That said, it’s not every day that a series regular gets fired from a hit network drama, even when accused of sexual assault or harassment.
CBS in particular has an embarrassing track record when it comes to taking allegations of sexual assault and harassment seriously. In 2018, the network chairman and CEO Les Moonves stepped down following years of allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
One month later, the studio paid a reported $9.8 million settlement to actor Eliza Dushku after she alleged that Bull star Michael Weatherly sexual harassed her on set and claimed that she was fired after asking him to stop, per Variety.
At the time, Michael apologized in a statement to The New York Times, admitting to making jokes that were “not funny and not appropriate.” Michael continued to star in Bull until the series wrapped in 2022, and he’s currently starring in CBS’s NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
