Tyler Perry is facing a $77m (£61m) sexual assault lawsuit from actor Mario Rodriguez, who claims the billionaire film-maker subjected him to repeated unwanted sexual advances. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, alleges that Perry dangled a role in the 2016 comedy Boo! A Madea Halloween to coerce Rodriguez into sexual encounters.
According to the complaint, the alleged incidents occurred at Perry’s Los Angeles home in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Rodriguez claims that Perry touched him inappropriately while they watched a movie, and on one occasion rubbed his inner thigh. The lawsuit also alleges that Perry told Rodriguez: “Man, if you would just come, I would take care of you for the rest of your life.”
It is the second recent sexual misconduct lawsuit against Perry. Derek Dixon, represented by the same lawyer, Jonathan Delshad, previously accused Perry of using his Hollywood influence to create a coercive dynamic. Perry’s attorney, Alex Spiro, dismissed the new claim as a “failed money grab”, noting that Delshad had “recently failed in another matter” against the film-maker.
Perry, 56, has a fortune estimated at $1.4bn, amassed largely from his Madea film franchise and Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. In 2020, he offered Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex a home in Los Angeles, saying he identified with their “emotional pain”. The lawsuit also names Lionsgate, the studio behind the Madea films, for allegedly ignoring the misconduct.
