Matlock’s David Del Rio Remains Fired After New Sexual Harassment Investigation
CBS chose not to reverse its decision to fire David Del Rio from Matlock after reopening an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse.
Further investigation by the network concluded that CBS stood by its initial decision to fire Del Rio, 38, from the show. Entertainment Weekly confirmed on Friday, February 20 that the investigation has been completed, the network declined to comment on the matter due to the company’s policy of not addressing legal matters.
Del Rio, on the other hand, has not spoken after leaving the show in October 2025. At that time, news broke about the allegations involving David and his then costa. Leah Lewis, which happened one month earlier. Del Rio was “dismissed and escorted from camp the day the alleged assault was reported,” according to reports released at the time.
Lewis, 29, broke his silence at the time by sharing a photo with his mum from the set.
“My mother is here, we are moving forward with love and strength. I am in good hands,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to everyone for any kind of support and care. Indeed, we are going strong. Key word, strength. Please, let it be.”
of David, Katherine Del Rioposted her own Instagram Stories calling Lewis a “disturbing person” before deleting them hours later. Us Weekly then confirmed in December 2025 that CBS had reopened its investigation into the incident.
“David provided evidence, including text messages between David and Leah and the names of witnesses willing to speak,” the source said. Us in January. “Due to the evidence, the investigation has been reopened.”
The insider said that David “had evidence and witnesses that he believed could disprove Leah’s allegations,” adding, “David’s team believes that he was fired without due process or a proper investigation.”
On screen, David’s character, Billy, was already turned off when he told Sarah (Lewis) about his girlfriend’s miscarriage. The actor hasn’t filmed any new scenes since then, so he won’t be seen in the second half of the season when it returns on Thursday, February 26.
David spoke first Us in May 2025 about a program that commits to a father turn involving Billy and his ex. “I’m really excited to see how Billy manages the balance of work with the personal balance of it all,” he shared before the season 2 premiere.
Lewis also weighed in on Sara’s expectations for season 2 during a joint interview.
“I remember reading the ending and hoping that in the end Sarah would walk away empty handed with this amazing victory. Something definitely happened to Simone and she might have to answer for herself,” commented Lewis. “If we’re being honest, this is when we get to see if Sarah can stand up for something she’s been begging for, begging for and working hard for. She wants to be treated like a big dog. We’re going to start acting like a big dog. I think this season we’ll probably see her mature a little bit in that aspect. Her career wins are not over yet.”
Matlock returns to CBS on Thursday, February 26, at 9 pm ET.
