Tyler Perry faces new sexual assault accusations from a another actor who filed a $77 million lawsuit, alleging years of unwanted advances and sexual battery.
Source: Jerod Harris/Rob Latour/Variety
Model Mario Rodriuez broke into his first major acting role in Boo! A Madea Halloween. He claimed Perry personally recruited him through a trainer at a Los Angeles Equinox gym who said the super producer wanted an introduction. He said he recieved an offer to playthe small role of “Frat Guy #10.” According to Page Six, the lawsuit alleges this began a series promises for more opportunities that lured in Rodriguez for sexual advances.
The complaint filed Thursday states that in Novernber 2018, Perry invited Rodriguez to Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills to discuss a role in The Oval over dinner. Then Rodriguez said they went to the director’s home, where Perry “tightly hugged” him, attempted to unbuckle his pants, and “reached into Mr. Rodriguez’s underwear.
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“Mr. Perry was making sexual moaning noises and saying, ‘Stay here, stay here,’ while he pressed his body against Mr. Rodriguez and continued to grab his penis,” the complaint states.
Rodriguez claimed he “repeatedly told Mr. Perry to stop,” but still had to “physically struggle to get away.” He said Perry apologized after the rejection and paid him $5,000.
In an alleged April 2019 incident, the suit claims Perry grabbed Rodriguez’s hand and placed it on his privates. Perry allegedly told him to “let it happen” and “If you were to just be with me, I would take care of you, and you wouldn’t have to ever worry about anything.”
According to the documents obtained by PEOPLE, the billionaire gave Rodriguez $5,000 when he delined again “and sent him away.” Following this alleged incident, the filing states:
“More than ever before, it was clear that Mr. Perry would do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, to whomever he wanted no matter how many times he was rejected.”
Rodriguez continued his acting career outside the Madeaverse on two seasons of The Family Business in 2020 and 2021. Still, he claims Perry continued to “randomly reach out to” him until 2024.
“When Perry became aware that Rodriguez was going to file this action, Perry once again reached out to Rodriguez by text,” the filing continues, stating Perry said he “was feeling betrayed” after he “did so much to help Rodriguez.”
As BOSSIP previously reported, The Oval actor Derek Dixon made similar allegations in a $260M lawsuit against Perry. He accused Perry of stringing him along with promises of acting roles and producing a script Dixon wrote. The lawsuit claimed invitations to meet at Perry’s home to discuss work turned into sexual assault and harassment. Attorney Jonathan J. Delshad represents both Dixon and Rodriguez.
See what Mario Rodriguez speaking out in his own words and Tyler Perry’s response after the flip.
Mario Rodriguez Spoke Out About Harassment Weeks Before He Filed The Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Two weeks before the lawsuit went public, Mario Rodroguez took to Instagram to speak out about experiencing harassment. “This is so hard to talk about,” he wrote in the caption. In the Dec. 13 clip, Rodriguez opened up about his struggles with feeling “scared and ashamed,” and how that keeps victims silent.
The candid clip mentioned his sense of guilt in anticipation of victim-blaming “for even being in the circumstances “for just being there” at the time of sexual assault and harassment.
“I felt all of that when a very big director, a seriously powerful person that everybody knows, invited me over to his house to talk about roles and upcoming things that he was writing,” which made him think “all of my dreams are coming true.”
“Then it happens, my boundaries were crossed. This person feels like they got power over you because of the situation and the opportunity,” he continued. Then he said fear kept him quiet, which put others at risk of the same experiences.
“I stayed quiet for much too long. And I just want to say I’m really sorry, man. Because if I would’ve spoken up sooner I could’ve saved somebody that this probably happened to after me,” he continued. “I just wanna say sorry for that, whoever that may be. It could’ve stopped with me if I would’ve said something. … But I’m speaking up now.”
On Dec. 26, Perry’s attorney Alex Spiro issued a statement slamming the lawsuit as a “money grab” after the same attorney represented Derek Dixon:
“Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab.”
Delshad refuted this claim to PEOPLE, noting that Dixon’s claims “are alive and well, and none of them have failed; they were just moved to a different court,” due to the case relocating from California to Georgia.
