Tyler Perry has been sued for sexual assault by actor Mario Rodriguez, who appeared in Boo! A Madea Halloween, making this the second lawsuit in recent months accusing the filmmaker and studio mogul of leveraging his power in Hollywood to make sexual advances.
About Mario Rodriguez`s lawsuit
Mario Rodriguez filed the lawsuit on Thursday, 25th December, in California, alleging Perry subjected him to repeated unwanted sexual advances over several years, including sexual battery and assault at Perry’s Los Angeles home. Rodriguez is seeking at least 77 million USD in damages and also has sued Lionsgate, which distributed the 2016 film, accusing the studio of turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct.
Rodriguez’s lawsuit includes claims of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
When contacted, Lionsgate did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. However, in a statement, Perry`s lawyer denied the allegations.
According to the complaint, Rodriguez was approached in 2014 by a trainer at an Equinox gym in Los Angeles who said Perry wanted his phone number to discuss an acting role. Perry later encouraged Rodriguez to audition for Boo A Madea Halloween, telling him, “I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner,” the lawsuit claims.
After Rodriguez was cast, he was invited to Perry’s home, where Perry allegedly touched him inappropriately while they watched a movie. The lawsuit describes additional alleged incidents in 2016, 2018 and 2019, including one encounter in which Perry allegedly attempted to unbuckle Rodriguez’s pants and another in which Perry placed Rodriguez’s hand on his genitals.
Rodriguez`s lawsuit claims that after two incidents, Perry allegedly apologized, handed him 5,000 USD “and sent him away.” Perry would “randomly reach out to” Rodriguez through 2024, and “when Perry became aware that Rodriguez was going to file this action, Perry once again reached out to Rodriguez by text,” telling him he “did so much to help Rodriguez” and he “was feeling betrayed.”
Rodriguez says he ultimately decided to file suit after learning of similar allegations made by another actor, Derek Dixon.
About Derek Dixon`s lawsuit
Dixon filed a 260 million USD lawsuit against Perry in June 2025, alleging a “sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation”. He alleged that the filmmaker groped him while Dixon worked on Perry’s television series The Oval and Ruthless. Dixon further claimed that he needed to maintain a close relationship with Perry, even after the alleged incident. While the accusations were vehemently denied, they kept Perry in the spotlight in 2023.
That lawsuit, which was originally filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, has reportedly since been moved to federal court in Georgia, where Perry`s studio is based.
