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Rodriguez v. Tyler Perry et. al.
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- Complaint Filed. (Click for Full Copy).
- Assigned Case Number _________________
- Assigned to Judge ___________
- Waiting on Service of Process
Rodriguez brings claims for sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, plus a claim against Lionsgate, which distributed Boo! A Madea Halloween, for turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct. Seeking $77 Million to prevent Perry from Doing this to others.
According to the lawsuit, a gym trainer at Equinox in Los Angeles approached Rodriguez in 2014 and told him that Perry asked for his phone number to discuss an acting role. That day, Perry allegedly called and told Rodriguez that he should audition for the role of a good looking college student on Boo! A Madea Halloween. “You know Mario, I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner,” Perry said, per the complaint.
After auditioning for and accepting the part, Rodriguez was invited to Perry’s Los Angeles home, the lawsuit says. There, they had drinks before going to his theater room to watch a movie. Perry allegedly “put his hands on Mr. Rodiguez’s legs and began rubbing his inner thigh right next to his penis,” the lawsuit claims. Rodriguez excused himself for the restroom but Perry persisted, according to the complaint. “Man if you would just come, I would take care of your for the rest of your life and you wouldn’t have to worry about anything,” the filmmaker said, the lawsuit claims. “I know you’ll come around.”
Once filming for Boo! A Madea Halloween finished in 2016, Perry called Rodriguez and teased opportunities “about scripts [I’m] writing.” At his home, the filmmaker, who confided in Rodriguez that he had been sexually molested as a child, grabbed the actor’s “leg right along his penis,” per the lawsuit. Rodriguez says he resisted and left.
According to the complaint, Perry reached out to Rodriguez again in 2018 and said he wanted to meet for dinner at Maestro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills to discuss a role in The Oval. After, the pair left for Perry’s home, where the mogul “tightly hugged” Rodriguez and told him to “hold on” while trying to unbuckle the actor’s pants, the lawsuit says.
“Mr. Perry reached into Mr. Rodriguez’s underwear and grabbed his penis,” writes Jonathan Delshad, a lawyer for Rodriguez who also represents Dixon, in the complaint. “Mr. Perry was making sexual moaning noises and saying, ‘Stay here, stay here,’ while he pressed his body against Mr. Rodriguez and continued to grab his penis.”