Tyler Perry Hit With $77M Sexual Assault Lawsuit By Second Accuser
Tyler Perry may have had a merry Christmas, but it didn’t last long, as a second man has now alleged that the film mogul sexually assaulted him. In a new lawsuit filed on Dec. 26, actor Mario Rodriguez says that Perry assaulted him several times while he was appearing in a Madea film.
His lawsuit, filed in California, alleges “sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.” Rodriguez, who was in Boo! A Madea Halloween (2017) also names Lionsgate, the studio that released the movie, as a defendant, alleging that it knew about the misconduct and did nothing to stop it. He’s asking for $77M.
Rodriguez, a Mexican and Puerto Rican from Southern California, played Rafael Cruz on Carl Weber’s The Family Business from 2020 to 2021. He’s listed in the credits for Boo! A Madea Christmas as “Frat Guy #10.’
Once he had the part, Rodriguez says he met Perry at his Los Angeles home, where, as he and Perry watched a movie, Perry propositioned him, allegedly also running his hand along the actor’s leg.
“Man, if you would just come, I would take care of you for the rest of your life, and you wouldn’t have to worry about anything,” Perry said, per the lawsuit. “I know you’ll come around.”
A second incident happened after Perry offered to discuss another role, this time in The Oval, and invited Rodriguez to dinner at Mastro’s Restaurant in L.A. After dinner, they went back to Perry’s house, where Perry hugged and then groped Rodriguez, reaching into his underwear, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says that Perry paid Rodriguez $5000 and apologized after each alleged incident.
On Monday, the Associated Press reported that Perry and Rodriguez maintained a friendly relationship, per texts they acquired from a source close to the situation. In those texts, Rodriguez thanks Perry on Thanksgiving Day of 2024, saying he was grateful “to the moon” for what Perry did for him. On Aug. 31 of this year, Rodriguez reached out to Perry, saying that he was scared, struggling with health issues and without health insurance.
When Perry found out that Rodriguez was filing a lawsuit, he texted Rodriguez to say he was disappointed after having done so much for him, and was “feeling betrayed,” per the lawsuit.
Rodriguez joins Oval and Ruthless actor Derek Dixon, who sued Perry in June, alleging similar sexually charged encounters with him. Rodriguez says he was inspired to come forward once Dixon’s lawsuit was made public. In an Instagram Reel on Dec. 13, Rodriguez talked about his experience with a “director everyone knows.”
“I stayed quiet for much too long, he says in the video. “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 added, “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.”
Perry, through his lawyers, has denied allegations from both Dixon and Rodriguez.
“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 Alex Spiro told The Hollywood Reporter.
Attorney Jonathan Delshad represents Dixon and Rodriguez.
Tyler Perry Hit With $77M Sexual Assault Lawsuit By Second Accuser was originally published on cassiuslife.com
