Right before Matlock premiered among CBS’s 2025-2026 lineup, major news broke as David Del Rio was fired following an investigation into sexual assault allegations. Following an incident that reportedly happened in late September that involved Del Rio and his co-star, Leah Lewis, the actor was let go from the show. Now, he has hired an attorney as this situation continues to unfold.
News of Del Rio’s firing broke in early October, and now, nearly a month later, TMZ has reported that he’s allegedly hired an attorney. Per the report, the former Matlock regular has started working with Shawn Holley, who has worked with famous folks like Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber and Lindsay Lohan. The report did not explain what legal action the actor could be taking. However, it did note that this reported hiring comes as he works to deal with the fallout of the allegations that led to his firing.
As I mentioned, in early October, news of Del Rio’s firing from the CBS hit broke, and it was explained that it happened after Leah Lewis, who he frequently shared scenes with on Matlock, made sexual assault claims against him in late September. Reportedly, the actor was removed from the set the same day the allegation was reported.
After that, production continued, and per TMZ, it was confirmed by CBS that David Del Rio’s character, Billy Martinez, will be written off the show. Meanwhile, it was reported that the LAPD had no record of an assault report that fit the claims of the allegation.
Now, in the day following all this, Leah Lewis posted about “moving forward” and being “in good hands.” While she did not specifically name her former co-star, she did write:
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 take away.
In the wake of that post, David Del Rio’s wife, Katherine Del Rio, took to her Instagram stories (via TMZ) to respond to the situation. Posting a zoomed-in picture of Lewis, she wrote:
This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met.
Now, it appears that the former Billy actor is taking steps toward taking legal action. Again, this report does not specify what he’ll do. However, it did note that he’s hired a high-profile lawyer.
As all this unfolds, Matlock is continuing to air on the 2025 TV schedule. New episodes drop on Thursdays at 9 p.m. and are available with a Paramount+ subscription the following day. Currently, it’s unknown how Billy will be written off. However, when we learned about Del Rio’s firing, it was clarified that the CBS hit would be taking a pre-planned break, because it was at the halfway mark of production on Season 2. Following its hiatus, it will continue filming after Thanksgiving.
It is expected that Del Rio will be written out during the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, it would seem the actor is getting ready to take legal action as Matlock continues to air. So, as we learn more about this situation, we’ll keep you updated on what is happening and how it impacts the actors involved and the CBS series.
