A key Matlock cast member is leaving the hit CBS show due to an accusation of sexual assault. 

David Del Rio has been fired from the Kathy Bates-led series following an alleged incident involving costar Leah Lewis, Deadline reports. 

The incident occurred on September 26 and was reported to the show’s producers and CBS Studios on October 2. Del Rio, 38, was fired that day following an internal investigation and escorted off the lot. 

Del Rio played first-year associate Billy Martinez on the legal drama. His character was close friends with fellow associate Sarah Franklin, who is portrayed by Lewis. 

Matlock Season 2 premieres October 12. The show will go on an already scheduled production hiatus starting next week, with filming set to resume after Thanksgiving. With Del Rio’s exit, the show’s writers will have to rework upcoming episodes to explain his departure. 

David Del Rio is married with two children 

Del Rio has not commented on the accusations or his Matlock firing. In addition to Matlock, he has appeared in TV shows such as The Troop, The Baker and the Beauty, and Maggie, as well as the movies Pitch Perfect and A California Christmas. 

Del Rio married actor Katherine Del Rio in 2018. The pair first met when he was performing in In the Heights on Broadway and she was an NYU student seeking his autograph at the stage door, they told Chattin’ With Chelsea in 2024. They met again four years later in Los Angeles and began dating. They have two children, a daughter named Lilia born in 2023 and another daughter, Coco, who was born in January 2025.  

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. 

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