Tyler Perry faces a new lawsuit alleging sexual assault and sexual battery, the second such case filed against the filmmaker this year and the latest legal challenge to one of Hollywood’s most powerful studio operators. Mario Rodriguez, a model and actor who had a small role in the 2016 comedy “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” filed the complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, seeking at least $77 million in damages.
Rodriguez alleges Perry made repeated unwanted advances over several years, with several incidents described at Perry’s Los Angeles home. The complaint says the two connected after a trainer at an Equinox gym in 2014 said Perry wanted Rodriguez’s number to discuss an acting opportunity. It claims Perry later encouraged him to audition for “Boo! A Madea Halloween” and told him, “I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner.”
The filing details multiple encounters from 2015 through 2019, including one described in a home screening room where Perry allegedly placed a hand on Rodriguez’s leg and rubbed his inner thigh near his genitals while telling him, “It’s ok,” according to the complaint. The lawsuit also alleges other episodes in which Perry tried to unbuckle Rodriguez’s pants, placed Rodriguez’s hand on Perry’s genitals, and gave Rodriguez $5,000 after some encounters.
Rodriguez also sued Lionsgate, the distributor of “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” accusing the company of ignoring alleged misconduct. Lionsgate did not respond to a request for comment, according to reporting on the filing.
Perry denied the allegations through his attorney, Alex Spiro, who called the case a “failed money grab” tied to claims “from more than a decade ago,” according to a statement shared with Variety. Rodriguez’s lawyer, Jonathan Delshad, said his client wants “his day in court” and pointed to text messages he says support the claims.
The new complaint says Rodriguez decided to sue after learning of a separate lawsuit filed in June by actor Derek Dixon, who alleges Perry harassed and assaulted him during work connected to the BET drama “The Oval.” Perry has denied Dixon’s claims.
