(Adnkronos) –
Tyler Perry sued for alleged sexual assault. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, concerns Mario Rodriguez, an actor who appeared in the 2016 film ‘Boo! A Madea Halloween’, directed, written and starring the American screenwriter and director. According to the complaint, Perry sexually assaulted Rodriguez on multiple occasions over the course of several years at his home in Los Angeles. In particular, the complaint cites an episode from 2018 in which Perry allegedly pulled Rodriguez into an unwanted hug and groped him. Rodriguez, who played the character ‘Frat Guy #10’ in the film, is suing for sexual assault, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The actor also filed a lawsuit against Lionsgate, the film’s distributor, accusing the company of ignoring Perry’s behavior. The prosecution seeks compensation of at least $77 million. The complaint, Variety magazine reports, describes an incident that occurred in Perry’s screening room a few months after their first meeting in 2015. “Mr. Perry placed his hand on Mr. Rodriguez’s inner thigh, next to his genitals, saying ‘Okay’ as he continued to rub his thigh,” the complaint reads. Rodriguez claims that contact with Perry stopped in 2019, but that the director continued to contact him sporadically. The actor decided to proceed legally after reading reports of a previous sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Derek Dixon, another of Perry’s collaborators. Alex Spiro, Perry’s lawyer, responded: “After recently losing another case against Mr. Perry, the same lawyer filed an additional claim from more than a decade ago that also failed.” The lawsuit from Dixon, an actor on the series ‘The Oval,’ concerned alleged harassment that occurred in 2021 and included text messages that the actor claims demonstrate repeated sexual comments and advances from Perry. Dixon was seeking at least $260 million in punitive damages. Jonathan Delshad, lawyer for Rodriguez and Dixon, underlined the existence of numerous text messages that would strengthen his clients’ accusations. “Mr. Rodriguez confidently awaits his day in court to hold Perry accountable for his actions,” Delshad said, adding that the director’s lawyers’ claims “only allow Perry to continue to victimize people like Rodriguez.” The new complaint reads that “Rodriguez decided to tell his story to get justice and stop Perry, who continued to use his power and influence to harass actors seeking fortune. When Perry learned of the lawsuit, he contacted Rodriguez via text, saying he felt betrayed.” (by Paolo Martini)
—spettacoliwebinfo@adnkronos.com (Web Info)
Published on December 29, 2025
