Matlock Throws Shade at David Del Rio’s Exit After Sexual Harassment Claims
Matlock he found a way to subtly throw shade David Del RioHe comes out as Billy after allegations of off-screen sexual harassment.
The CBS show is back on Thursday, February 26, with Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Matty (Kathy Bates) meeting with HR representative Gwen Easton (Sarah Wright-Olsen), who asked about Billy’s absence.
“He’s sick. He’s very sick. He’s throwing up,” Sarah said, to which Gwen joked, “Yeah, he doesn’t need to come back!”
Gwen also floated the idea that one of the three people working for Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) is in the cutting edge. “Can he make two people if one of you takes the severance package offered?” he asked.
Del Rio, 38, has not been on the show since news broke in October 2025 about the allegations involving him and his costa Lewis, which happened one month ago. 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 in October. “Thank you to everyone for any kind of support and care. Indeed, we are going strong. Key word, strength. Please, let it be.”
David’s wife, meanwhile, posted an Instagram Story calling Lewis a “disturbing person” before deleting it a few hours later.
Before the scandal, Del Rio spoke to him Us Weekly in May 2025 about how the show will commit to a father transformation involving his character, Billy. “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. (His character was written off at the end of the season when Billy found out his girlfriend had a miscarriage.)
Lewis also weighed in on Sara’s expectations for season 2 during a joint interview.
“I remember reading the ending and hoping that at the end of the day Sarah would come out of this amazing victory. Something definitely happened to Simone and she might have to answer for herself,” Lewis commented. “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.”
While David hasn’t talked about his shooting, Us confirmed in December 2025 that CBS has reopened its investigation into the incident.
“David has provided evidence, including text messages between David and Leah and the names of witnesses who are willing to speak,” a source told us exclusively earlier this month. “Due to the evidence, the investigation has been reopened.”
The insider said Del Rio “has evidence and witnesses he believes can disprove Leah’s allegations,” adding, “David’s team believes he was fired without due process or a proper investigation.”
A further investigation by the network concluded earlier this month when CBS stood by its initial decision to fire Del Rio from the show.
Matlock airs on CBS Thursdays at 9 pm ET.
