David Del Rio, a series regular on the CBS legal drama Matlock, has been fired following an investigation into a sexual assault allegation involving co-star Leah Lewis, Deadline has learned. The alleged incident occurred on 26 September in Lewis's trailer, prompting immediate action from the show's producers and CBS Studios.
An internal investigation by the studio led to Del Rio's dismissal on 2 October, the same day the allegation was reported. According to sources, executive producer Eric Christian Olsen was among those who escorted Del Rio off the Paramount lot. Filming continued after his departure, with the show set for a pre-planned hiatus after wrapping the first half of Season 2.
Hours after the news broke, Lewis posted on Instagram Stories a photo with her mother, captioning it: '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 has not publicly commented on the allegation or his dismissal.
His wife, Katherine Del Rio, briefly posted and deleted two Instagram Stories: one featuring a zoomed-in picture of Lewis's face with the caption 'This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met,' and another mirroring Lewis's post, stating 'Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family.'
On Matlock, Del Rio played Billy Martinez, a first-year associate at the law firm Jacobson Moore. The series, which also stars Kathy Bates, Skye P. Marshall, and Jason Ritter, previously addressed sexual assault in its first season.
