David Del Rio, a series regular on the CBS legal drama Matlock, has been fired following an investigation into a sexual assault allegation, Deadline has learned. The alleged incident occurred on September 26 and involved fellow cast member Leah Lewis, according to sources.
The incident reportedly took place in Lewis's trailer, prompting immediate action from producers and CBS Studios. An internal investigation led to Del Rio's dismissal on October 2, the same day the allegation was reported. He was escorted off the Paramount lot by executive producer Eric Christian Olsen and others.
Filming on Matlock has continued without Del Rio. The show is set to go on a pre-planned hiatus after wrapping the first half of Season 2, with production resuming after Thanksgiving. The creative team will need to rewrite scripts to write out his character, Billy Martinez, a first-year associate at the law firm Jacobson Moore.
Following the news, Lewis posted on Instagram Stories: '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.' Del Rio's wife, Katherine, briefly posted and deleted a story featuring a zoomed-in picture of Lewis with the caption: 'This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met.' She later posted a photo with her own mother, referencing Lewis by name.
Del Rio has not publicly commented on the allegations or his dismissal. Matlock previously addressed sexual assault in its first season, with an episode where the titular character takes on a case involving a young lawyer assaulted by her boss.
