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Filmmaker and media mogul Tyler Perry has been hit with a second major lawsuit this year alleging sexual assault and battery. Actor and model Mario Rodriguez, who appeared as “Frat Guy #10” in the 2016 film Boo! A Madea Halloween, filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking at least $77 million in damages. The filing accuses Perry of leveraging his immense Hollywood influence to subject Rodriguez to a years-long pattern of unwanted sexual advances and physical assault.
The lawsuit details a series of alleged encounters beginning in 2014, when Rodriguez claims he was first approached by a trainer at a Los Angeles Equinox gym who said Perry wanted his contact information to discuss an acting role. After being cast in the Madea film, Rodriguez alleges he was frequently invited to Perry’s Los Angeles home under the guise of career mentorship. According to the complaint, these meetings often turned predatory; Rodriguez describes a 2015 incident in Perry’s private screening room where the director allegedly touched him inappropriately while they watched a movie.
The allegations escalate in the following years, with Rodriguez describing a 2018 encounter in which Perry allegedly hugged him tightly, attempted to unbuckle his pants and grabbed his genitals without consent. The filing further claims that Perry would
periodically “apologize” for the behavior by stuffing $5,000 in cash into Rodriguez’s pocket. The actor also names Lionsgate, the distributor of the 2016 film, as a defendant, accusing the studio of turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct and failing to protect cast members.
In a statement released by his attorney, Alex Spiro, Tyler Perry has vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing the lawsuit as a “failed money grab.” Spiro pointed out that Rodriguez is represented by the same attorney, Jonathan Delshad, who filed a $260 million sexual assault lawsuit against Perry on behalf of actor Derek Dixon in June 2025. Perry’s legal team maintains that these claims are baseless attempts to exploit the filmmaker’s wealth and status.
Rodriguez, however, stated that he was motivated to come forward after seeing Dixon’s public allegations. In a social media post prior to the filing, Rodriguez expressed that he felt “scared and ashamed” but believed speaking up now could prevent others from experiencing similar treatment. As the legal proceedings move forward, the case adds a new layer of scrutiny to one of the most powerful figures in the entertainment industry.
