Three months after David Del Rio was fired from Matlock, the actor is still trying to clear his name in the wake of a sexual assault allegation lodged against him by his costar Leah Lewis.
According to a source, new evidence has been presented to CBS Studios as part of the investigation that was reopened last November.
“David has provided evidence, including text messages between David and Leah and names of witnesses who are willing to talk,” a source tells Us Weekly. “In light of the evidence, the investigation was reopened.”
Del Rio denies her allegation.
Del Rio, 38, played lawyer Billy Martinez and shared most of his scenes with Lewis, who portrays attorney Sarah Franklin on the legal drama. As previously reported by Us, Del Rio was escorted off the Matlock set last October after an initial investigation into Lewis’s sexual assault claim.
Us has learned that when the studio was alerted to an incident involving Del Rio, an investigation was immediately conducted, and CBS has since parted ways with the actor. Since his dismissal from the hit show, Del Rio’s character was also written off the series.
CBS Studios declined comment as they do not discuss legal matters.
Us also reached out to reps for Lewis who did not respond by deadline.
According to the source, Del Rio disputes the allegations and believes the initial investigation was handled improperly.
“David was Leah’s close confidante on set. The basis of their relationship was playful,” says the source. “Then one day that changed.”
In an interview with Us in September 2024, Lewis talked about her on-set relationship with her former costar and onscreen “counterpart”: “I’ve learned so much about comedy from him. He comes from a theater background, so it’s like we’re always dancing and twinkling around set.” She added that Del Rio has “one of the largest personalities and skill sets that I’ve ever been able to work with. So, it’s been playtime.”
Del Rio has also praised Lewis. In December 2024, Del Rio spoke to Hello! about the audition process, revealing that he read with four different actresses before Lewis was cast opposite him. “That was my choice, by the way,” he said. “I voted for her.”
The same month, Del Rio told The Wrap that Matlock creator Jennie Snyder Urman wanted his and Lewis’ characters to lean on each other more during the second half of season 1: “I hadn’t seen [Urman] for weeks, because she’s writing and writing … she comes down and she says one thing, ‘Oh, just remember the arc right now is that they’re actually becoming closer,’” Del Rio said of her guidance, referring to Billy and Sarah’s friendship. “It was that one sentence, and Leah and I [looked] at each other and we’re like, ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’”
According to the source, Del Rio “has evidence and witnesses that he believes could disprove Leah’s allegation,” adding, “David’s team believes he was fired without appropriate due process or a proper investigation.”
Per the source, David has been interviewed multiple times since the investigation was reopened, but there is no end in sight: “It has been moving slow,” continues the source, “and there isn’t any indication of a timeframe for a conclusion.”
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