David Del Rio was reportedly axed from Matlock after a sexual assault allegation was made against him, and now his wife Katherine has weighed in with a biting response.
David, 38, was allegedly fired from the show after CBS Studios was alerted of an incident on set, with Deadline reporting the alleged event involved his 28-year-old co-star Leah Lewis.
Katherine took to her Instagram Stories and cruelly branded Leah, 28, ‘the most disturbing human being’ she had ever met before mocking the actress’ response to the controversy.
‘This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met,’ Katherine wrote over an extreme close-up shot of Leah’s face.
When the allegation against David first emerged, Leah thanked her fans for all their support and revealed she was spending time with mother – a message Katherine mocked practically word for word.
Katherine uploaded a photo with her own mother and wrote over the image: ‘Mom is here. We are moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you all for the love and support!’
David Del Rio was reportedly axed from Matlock after a sexual assault allegation was made against him, and now his wife Katherine has weighed in with a biting response about his co-star Leah Lewis
Katherine took to her Instagram Stories and cruelly branded Leah, 28, ‘the most disturbing human being’
Katherine also mocked Leah’s public response to the controversy
Both of the posts appear to have since been deleted.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for David, Katherine, and Leah for comment but have not yet heard back.
A CBS Studios spokesperson declined to comment.
Katherine’s post come shortly after her husband was reportedly fired from the series after an allegation of sexual assault was made against him.
David, who portrayed Billy Martinez, exited the show after CBS Studios was alerted of an incident on set last week, the Daily Mail can confirm.
Deadline reports the alleged incident took place on September 26 and involved Lewis. It was claimed Del Rio was escorted off the set following an internal investigation on October 2, the same day the incident was reported.
The Daily Mail understands Del Rio has been written out of the Kathy Bates-led series for future episodes.
Lewis broke her silence over the controversy on her Instagram on Thursday, posting a photo of her embracing her mother as she thanked fans for their support.
‘Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the take away,’ Leah wrote.
Lewis broke her silence over the controversy on her Instagram on Thursday, posting a photo of her embracing her mother as she thanked fans for their support
The Emmy nominated series is currently filming its second season, and has already shot about half of the next season, according to Variety.
The show will be undergoing a pre-planned hiatus this month and in November after completion of the first half of the second season.
Sources told the publication that Del Rio was led away by Matlock executive producer Eric Christian Olsen, among others.
TMZ reports Del Rio is accused of sexually assaulting the female Matlock actor on Paramount property.
The show resumed filming after Del Rio’s departure, Deadline adds, and production is expected to return after Thanksgiving.
Season two of Matlock will debut on October 12.
David Del Rio, 38, who portrayed Billy Martinez (L), was reportedly fired from the show after a reported allegation of sexual assault was made against him. Deadline reports the alleged incident took place on September 26 and involved his 28-year-old costar Leah; pictured R
Lewis said she was ‘moving forward in love and strength’ after the controversy erupted; pictured last month
In Matlock, Del Rio portrayed Martinez, a first-year associate working at the fictional Jacobson Moore law firm. Lewis plays Sarah Franklin, a first-year associate, on the show.
Prior to joining Matlock, Lewis played the lead voice role in Pixar’s animated film Elemental (2023), and she previously had major roles in the Netflix dramedy The Half Of It (2020) and on The CW’s Nancy Drew series, which ran from 2019 to 2023.
In September 2024, Lewis spoke about her costar Del Rio with Us Weekly.
‘David Del Rio, who plays Billy, who plays kind of, like, my counterpart, I’ve learned so much about comedy from him,’ she said. ‘He comes from a theater background, so it’s like we’re always dancing and twinkling around set.’
Matlock stars Oscar winner Bates and is loosely based on the legal drama of the same name that starred the late Andy Griffith from 1986–1995. Bates plays the attorney Madeline Matlock opposite Beau Bridges and Jason Ritter.
It was claimed Del Rio was escorted off the set following an internal investigation on October 2, the same day the incident was reported; still from Matlock
The show ‘follows Madeline Matlock as she rejoins the work force at a prestigious law firm, where she uses her wily tactics to win cases and expose wrongdoing,’ the IMDb synopsis reads.
The rebooted Matlock debuted last year and was renewed for a second season just two episodes into its first season.
Bates has received critical acclaim for her role, and has earned several awards and multiple nominations.
Del Rio’s acting credentials include roles in Pitch Perfect, The Good Doctor, Grease Live, A California Christmas, The Baker and the Beauty, NCIS: Los Angeles and more.
He is married to actress and filmmaker Katherine and they have two children together. The couple recently celebrated 12 years together.
‘From when you said “yes” to be my girlfriend 12 years ago… the ride continues. I love you, Flower Child,’ Del Rio posted to his Instagram in late July.
