Filmmaker and media mogul Tyler Perry has denied sexual assault allegations made in a $77 million lawsuit, calling the case a “money grab” in a formal response filed in court.
In documents submitted to the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 27, Perry rejected “each and every allegation” brought by Mario Rodriguez and outlined 19 affirmative defences against the claims. The filing states that the lawsuit lacks valid legal grounds and argues that Rodriguez did not suffer any damages related to the accusations.
Perry’s legal team also disputes the nature of the alleged interactions between the two men. According to the response, any contact that occurred between Perry and Rodriguez was consensual.
The filing goes further, asserting that the lawsuit is an attempt to obtain money after Perry allegedly stopped providing financial assistance to Rodriguez. Perry’s attorneys claim Rodriguez had only a “very minor role” in one of the filmmaker’s projects roughly a decade ago.
Rodriguez appeared briefly as “Frat Guy #10” in the 2016 film Boo! A Madea Halloween, a comedy written, directed and produced by Perry. According to the court response, Rodriguez later reached out multiple times seeking assistance with personal expenses.
Perry’s attorneys allege that those requests included assistance with housing costs, medical services, and unpaid bills. They argue that the lawsuit arose after Perry stopped providing financial support. In addition to contesting the claims, Perry and Lionsgate are also seeking to move the case out of state court.
The filing states that both parties intend to transfer the matter to the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Rodriguez’s original lawsuit presents a different version of events. In his complaint, he alleges that Perry made unwanted advances and sexually assaulted him while suggesting that acting opportunities could follow.
Rodriguez claims that Perry invited him to his home under the pretence of discussing potential work opportunities. According to the complaint, one alleged incident occurred in 2018, when Rodriguez says Perry grabbed him despite repeated requests for him to stop.
The lawsuit also claims Perry made a statement during one encounter, telling him, “If you were to just be with me, I would take care of you.” Rodriguez alleges that after two incidents, Perry later apologised and gave him $5,000. Rodriguez is seeking $77 million in damages as part of the lawsuit.
Perry has strongly rejected the allegations. His attorney, Alex Spiro, previously addressed the claims in a statement released on Dec. 26, saying they are “another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab.”
Rodriguez is represented by attorney Jonathan J. Delshad, who is also representing another client in a separate lawsuit against Perry. In June, actor Derek Dixon, who appeared in Perry’s television series The Oval, filed a $260 million lawsuit accusing Perry of sexual harassment, assault and retaliation.
Perry has denied those allegations as well. Delshad has said Dixon’s claims “are alive and well” after the case was transferred from California to Georgia, where it continues to move forward through the legal system.
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