The second season of Matlock kicked off with a bang. But a serious investigation changed everything. It involved an alleged sexual assault by actor David Del Rio against his co-star, Leah Lewis. This quickly led to Del Rio being fired from the show.
The new Matlock on CBS is quite different from the original 1980s series. It features Kathy Bates in the main role. Her character, Matty, seemed like a hopeful lawyer trying to get hired at a fancy law firm. She just happened to share a famous last name. However, the first episode dropped a bombshell: Matty was just pretending.
Matty turned out to be the wealthy Madeline Kingston. She had secretly joined the firm to find out who was responsible for her daughter’s death. Her daughter died from an opioid overdose. Matty suspected Olympia, played by Skye P. Marshall; Julian, played by Jason Ritter; or Senior, played by Beau Bridges. These individuals might have had access to documents that could have removed dangerous opioids from the streets earlier.
Matty’s plan to bring down the law firm, Jacobson Moore, didn’t quite go as she expected. She started getting close to Olympia, Billy (Del Rio’s character), Sarah (Lewis’s character), and other colleagues. These co-workers seemed unaware of the firm’s hidden corruption.
Before season two returned in October, the cast was teasing what was next for their characters. But days before the premiere, news broke. David Del Rio had been fired. This happened after an investigation into Leah Lewis’s accusation of sexual assault.
CBS acted swiftly after Lewis reported the incident. Del Rio was taken off the set right away. The showrunners began planning how to write Billy out of the series. So far, the Matlock stars haven’t spoken about the scandal in public. Still, many have quietly shown their support for Lewis. She also shared a statement.
Here’s a closer look at the scandal. We will also cover what might happen next for Del Rio and the show.
The Key Players
In the first season, Matlock introduced us to Olympia’s first-year associates. Sarah and Billy worked closely together, sharing their caseload before Matty joined their team. Their friendship saw its ups and downs throughout the first season. However, they ended the season on good terms.
Leah Lewis, speaking to Us Weekly in September 2024, had positive things to say about David Del Rio. "David Del Rio, who plays Billy, he’s like my counterpart," Lewis explained. "I’ve learned so much about comedy from him." She added that Del Rio came from a theater background. Because of that, they were always "dancing and shining on set."
Lewis also praised Del Rio, saying he had "one of the biggest personalities and skills I’ve worked with." She concluded by stating, "So it’s been pure fun." These comments now stand in stark contrast to the recent developments.
What Happened
After Matlock was quickly renewed for a second season, the cast gathered to film new episodes. These were for the 2025-2026 TV season. Production was already halfway done when the news of Del Rio’s firing broke.
A report from Deadline in October revealed that the alleged incident happened about a month earlier. Lewis reportedly told CBS in early October. Del Rio was then "fired and escorted off the studio lot the same day the alleged assault was reported."
The Reactions
Del Rio has remained silent on the scandal so far. His wife, Katherine Del Rio, posted Instagram stories calling Lewis "a disturbing human being." However, she removed those posts just hours later.
After the alleged incident, the Matlock cast members showed where their support lay. They unfollowed David Del Rio on Instagram. Lewis, breaking her silence, posted a photo with her mother from the set.
"Mom is here, we are moving forward with love and strength," Lewis wrote on Instagram in October. "I am in good hands." She continued, "Thank you everyone for any gesture of support and affection. Truly, we are moving forward with strength. Keyword: strength. Please, let that be what remains." Her message was clear: she was focusing on resilience and moving past the difficult situation.
The Road Ahead
Matlock was already on a filming break when the news broke. However, production is set to pick up again in the second half of the season. This will happen after Thanksgiving in November. Billy, Del Rio’s character, is expected to leave the show soon. This exit comes even though he had a bigger role planned for the early part of the season. His storyline included a surprise paternity twist, which now likely won’t see the light of day.