Tyler Perry is facing a $77 million lawsuit after a second actor accused him of sexual assault.
Mario Rodriguez, who had a minor role in Perry’s film Boo! A Madea Halloween, filed the lawsuit against the actor and Lionsgate films in California on Thursday, December 25, per People and Page Six.
In the lawsuit Rodriguez reportedly alleged Perry sexually assaulted him and made unwanted advances while promising him future acting roles – claims that Perry’s attorney Alex Spiro described as a “money grab.”
Page Six reported that Rodriguez claimed via the lawsuit that Perry “tightly hugged” him, “reached into Mr. Rodriguez’s underwear” and touched his genitals in a 2018 incident. The pair had reportedly gone to Perry’s home after Perry invited Rodriguez to dinner at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, California to chat about a potential role in his series, The Oval.
“Mr. Perry was making sexual moaning noises and saying, ‘Stay here, stay here,’ while he pressed his body against Mr. Rodriguez and continued to grab his penis,” the court papers claimed, per Page Six.
People reported that during one of the alleged unwanted advances, Perry urged Rodriguez to “let it happen” and told him, “If you were to just be with me, I would take care of you….”
According to both outlets, Rodriguez also claimed via the lawsuit that following two incidents of unwanted sexual advances, Perry apologized and paid him $5,000.
Rodriguez, who is seeking $77 million in damages, is being represented by attorney Jonathan J. Delshad. Delshad also represented actor Derek Dixon, who previously made sexual assault allegations against Perry.
“Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab,” Perry’s attorney Spiro told Us Weekly in a statement on Friday, December 26.
Mario Rodriguez. Photo by John Parra/WireImage)
Posting to his Instagram on December 13, Rodriguez spoke about an unnamed “powerful” director “that everybody knows.” He explained in the post that he felt “scared and ashamed.”
“I stayed quiet for much too long. And I just want to say I’m really sorry, man. Because if I would’ve spoken up sooner I could’ve saved somebody that this probably happened to after me,” he said in the video. “I just wanna say sorry for that, whoever that may be. It could’ve stopped with me if I would’ve said something. … But I’m speaking up now.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Rodriguez’s representatives for comment.
In June, Perry faced a similar lawsuit when Dixon sued Perry and his production company over alleged sexual assault on the set of The Oval. Dixon was seeking $260 million in damages from Perry and his production company.
Perry told the court that actor Dixon’s lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault was “profoundly disappointing, cynical and — most of all — false,” Us Weekly reported in October.
“Dixon invents alleged assaults and encounters that never happened. Mr. Perry never assaulted Dixon or committed any sexual battery. He did not offer Dixon pay raises and shoot Dixon’s television pilot script to threaten, coerce, or control Dixon,” the court filing read.
“Dixon earned through merit alone whatever professional opportunities he received from [Perry and his company],” Perry’s lawyer noted. “And it is notable that in his effort to exploit his friendship and professional relationship with Mr. Perry to obtain a $260 million payday, Dixon was forced to lie not only about Mr. Perry, but himself too.”
