David Del Rio has begun arbitration against CBS after he was fired from Matlock in October over sexual assault allegations against his co-star Leah Lewis.
“David Del Rio has initiated arbitration against CBS Studios to address false and misleading allegations that have caused significant professional and reputational harm,” the actor’s attorney Sean Hawley told Page Six in a statement Wednesday.
“At arbitration, Mr. Del Rio will present real-time text communications and evidence that directly contradicts previous public characterizations of the interactions at issue,” the statement continued. “This evidence was not adequately considered before any adverse employment action was taken.”
The statement concluded: “Mr. Del Rio looks forward to resolving this matter through the appropriate courts and believes that a thorough investigation of the evidence will establish the truth and restore his professional reputation.”
According to TMZ, Del Rio hired Hawley and the investigation was reopened, but CBS stood by its decision to fire Hawley.
Officials told the outlet on Wednesday that Del Rio “fully cooperated” with the investigation and the reopened probe and provided “documentary evidence in support of his position” to no avail.
After investigating, CBS recharacterized the allegations from “sexual assault to unwanted sexual conduct,” according to a source at the network. TMZ sources also claimed that the network asked him to “remain silent” and refrain from contacting his representatives or lawyers throughout the process.
However, studio officials insisted that David was not denied legal representation during the process, according to TMZ.
Officials also said that “additional evidence” allegedly obtained by Del Rio’s lawyers will be presented during the arbitration after additional investigation is completed.
Representatives for Lewis and CBS did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment Wednesday evening.
CBS confirmed to Page Six in October that Del Rio, 38, has “stepped down from the series,” but declined to comment further at the time. In the same series, he played Billy Martinez opposite Sarah Franklin, who played Luis.
Sources previously told Deadline that the incident involving Del Rio and Ruiz, 29, happened on the Paramount property on September 26th and that an investigation had been launched.
The industry claimed that David was “fired and taken off the show on the same day (October 2) that the alleged assault was reported” and that his character would be removed from the show.
His A-list co-stars, including Kathy Bates and Jason Ritter, did not comment on the alleged incident or Del Rio’s firing at the time.
After news of Del Rio’s firing broke, the “Nancy Drew” alum spoke out on her Instagram Story on Oct. 10, sharing a photo from a red carpet event alongside her mother, Lorraine Lewis.
“Mom is here,” she told her followers on the platform. “I’m fine. Thank you to everyone for all the support and care.”
She added above the photo: “Truly, we are moving forward strongly. The keyword is strength. Please cherish it.”
Also on October 10, David’s wife Katherine Del Rio spoke out on her social media following Lewis’ claims that he bombed the “Matlock” actress.
Through her Instagram Stories, she shared a close-up photo of Lewis’ smiling face and wrote above the photo, “This is the most insecure human being I’ve ever met.”
She also shared a photo of herself with her mother and mocked Lewis’ social media comments, writing: “Mommy is here. We move forward with love and strength because of what Leah has done for our family. Thank you to everyone for the love and support!”
David and Catherine married in April 2018 and have two daughters, Lilia (2) and Coco (1).
