Tyler Perry is being sued again, this time for $77M, by model and actor Mario Rodriguez who alleges sexual assault.
Mario Rodriguez, filed a suit on Thursday (Dec 25) alleging that Perry sexually assaulted him and made unwanted sexual advances while promising him roles. Rodriguez is seeking $77 million in damages.
Rodriguez, a model who landed a minor role in Perry’s 2016 movie Boo! A Madea Halloween, claims the alleged assaults occured over a period of years.
The actor says he and Perry met 10 years ago at an Equinox gym. The media mogul invited him to dinner at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, Calif. to discuss a potential role in his series, “The Oval.” It was after the dinner that Rodriguez claims the incident took place.
In November 2018, Perry allegedly “grabbed [Rodriguez’s] penis” and Rodriguez “repeatedly told Mr. Perry to stop” and Rodriguez had to “physically struggle to get away.”
Perry allegedly would tell Rodriguez to “let it happen” and “If you were to just be with me, I would take care of you….” Rodriguez’s lawsuit claims that after two incidents Perry allegedly apologized, handed him $5,000 “and sent him away.”
Perry’s counsel, attorney Alex Spiro, released a statement on Dec. 26 writing, “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.”
Rodriguez is being represented by attorney Jonathan J. Delshad, who also represented Derek Dixon, another actor who made similar allegations against Perry, 56, earlier this year.
Delshad says Dixon’s claims “are alive and well, and none of them have failed; they were just moved to a different court,” as the case is relocated from California to Georgia.
“Mr. Rodriguez is looking forward to his day in court and holding Mr. Perry accountable for his actions. We do hope a jury awards enough money to make Perry regret his actions,” Delshad said. “Unfortunately, statements like those made by Perry’s attorneys do nothing but enable Mr. Perry to continue to victimize people like Mr. Rodriguez. My client looks forward to a jury’s determination of what happened.”
Perry has denied all allegations through his representative, describing the claims as unfounded. The matters are ongoing in court.