David Del Rio, the actor who was escorted off the set of “Matlock” last fall, has filed an arbitration claim against CBS Studios over his termination.
Del Rio played Billy Martinez on the show, which stars Kathy Bates. Del Rio’s character was written off the show following an allegation of sexual assault against the actor.
His attorney, Shawn Holley, said Wednesday that he has taken action “to address false and misleading allegations that caused substantial professional and reputational harm.”
“At the arbitration, Mr. Del Rio will present real-time text communications and evidence that directly contradicts prior public characterizations of the interaction at issue. This evidence was not fully considered before adverse employment action was taken,” Holley said. “Mr. Del Rio looks forward to resolving this matter through the appropriate legal forum and has faith that a full evidentiary review will establish the truth and restore his professional reputation.”
Del Rio’s employment agreement requires him to take the case to private arbitration instead of filing a public lawsuit.
Del Rio had already filmed seven episodes of the show’s second season when the allegations surfaced last October. The show made a reference to his abrupt exit in its mid-season premiere last week, when an HR rep asks where Billy is.
“Out sick. Very, very sick. Vomiting,” said Sarah, the character played by Leah Lewis.
“And we’ve got him covered,” Bates’ character adds.
Lewis has vaguely alluded to her involvement in the situation, posting a photo of herself on Instagram last fall: “Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the takeaway.”
Del Rio’s wife, Katherine, then posted (and deleted) a response: “Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you all for the love and support!”