Actor and model Mario Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against director and producer Tyler Perry in a court of Califórnia.
The complaint, filed on December 25, 2025, accuses Perry of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional emotional infliction.
Rodriguez seeks at least $77 million in damages and also names distributor Lionsgate as a defendant.
- Initial contact occurred in 2014 or 2015, when a gym trainer at Los Angeles passed the number from Rodriguez to Perry.
- Perry offered a small role in the 2016 film “Boo! A Madea Halloween”, where Rodriguez played a secondary character.
- After filming, Perry invited Rodriguez to his residence several times under the pretext of discussing future projects.
Details of the allegations
Rodriguez reports multiple incidents of unwanted sexual advances between 2015 and 2019.
On one occasion, Perry allegedly placed his hand on Rodriguez’s leg and rubbed his inner thigh during a home cinema session.
In November 2018, after dinner, Perry allegedly hugged Rodriguez tightly and grabbed his penis, despite the actor’s verbal and physical refusals.
Another episode in 2019 involved Perry trying to unbutton Rodriguez’s pants and putting his hand on her private parts.
After two incidents, Perry reportedly apologized and handed over $5,000 to Rodriguez.
The lawsuit claims that Perry used his position of power to promise professional opportunities in exchange for sexual favors.
Motivation for the process
Rodriguez decided to move forward with the lawsuit after learning of similar allegations made by another actor.
He mentioned in a video on Instagram on December 13 of feeling shame and fear for years, without naming Perry directly.
In the post, Rodriguez apologized for not speaking sooner, believing he could have prevented other victims.
Rodriguez’s lawyer, Jonathan Delshad, highlighted that the client seeks justice and accountability.
Perry defense response
Lawyer Alex Spiro classified the action as a failed attempt at financial extortion.
He pointed out that the same lawyer represented a previous complaint against Perry, which was considered unsuccessful.
Spiro emphasized that the demands date back more than a decade and will be rejected.
Perry denies all allegations in the complaint.
Connection to previous case
This is the second lawsuit against Perry over allegations of sexual harassment of aspiring actors.
In June 2025, Derek Dixon, from series such as “The Oval”, sued Perry for 260 million dollars with similar allegations.
Dixon’s case was transferred to federal court on Geórgia.
Both actors are represented by the same lawyer, Jonathan Delshad.
Initial repercussion
Lionsgate, the distributor of the film involved, has not publicly commented on the allegations.
The process is being processed in Corte Superior of Los Angeles.
None of the actions have resulted in a conviction to date.
Perry remains active in film and television productions.
Public declaration of Rodriguez
In a recent video, Rodriguez expressed regret for prolonged silence.
He said he is speaking out now to disrupt possible patterns of behavior.
The actor has almost a million followers on social media.
The complaint includes text messages as evidence of persistent contact until 2024.
