by Chris Peterson
CBS has fired actor David Del Rio from Matlock following a sexual assault allegation involving a co-star, a decision that has sent shockwaves through the network and cast. The alleged incident took place on September 26 and was reported internally to CBS Studios on October 2, according to Deadline. That same day, Del Rio was escorted off set and soon after terminated, following what sources described as an expedited internal investigation overseen in part by executive producer Eric Christian Olsen.
While neither CBS nor the show’s creative team has issued a detailed statement, multiple outlets have identified Leah Lewis, who plays Sarah Franklin on the series, as the co-star involved. The two were key ensemble members in the new version of Matlock, which premiered in fall 2024 with Kathy Bates leading the cast as Madeline Matlock. The show, a reimagining of the classic legal drama, had quickly become one of the network’s most dependable freshman titles.
Del Rio’s character, Billy Martinez, was intended to have an expanded role in the second season, now filming in Los Angeles. Insiders suggest he will still appear in a few completed episodes before being written out entirely, though CBS has made no comment on whether the role will be recast or replaced.
The removal leaves writers with the task of adjusting storylines already in motion, a challenge that underscores how fragile the production process can be when real-world crises intersect with fictional ones.
No criminal charges have been filed as of this writing, and there is no public record of law enforcement involvement. Del Rio has not released a statement addressing the allegation, and Lewis has remained silent. CBS Studios has limited its comments to confirming the actor’s dismissal, declining to elaborate on the findings of the internal review or whether outside authorities were consulted.
Filming on Matlock continues under executive producers Jennie Snyder Urman and Eric Christian Olsen, with the remaining cast back on set. CBS has not announced whether the storyline will address the absence directly or quietly pivot. For now, both the network and the actors at the center of the controversy remain silent, leaving more questions than answers—and a production caught in the uneasy space between accountability and aftermath.
