Ahead of the Matlock season 2 premiere on Sunday, Oct. 12, the CBS legal drama series faced an unexpected behind-the-scenes shakeup. David Del Rio was fired from the series following a sexual assault allegation led to an investigation and his immediate firing. Del Rio starred in the series as lawyer Billy Martinez since the first season and will still appear in multiple season 2 episodes.
According to Deadline, the encounter happened on Sept. 26 and involved fellow series star Leah Lewis, who plays fellow young lawyer Sarah Franklin. Allegedly, the sexual assault incident was reported on Oct. 2 and Del Rio was fired on the same day as a result of an investigation by CBS Studios. He was reportedly escorted off the Paramount lot in Los Angeles by producers.
Because Matlock season 2 began filming in July 2025, about half of the season has already been filmed, but the cast and crew were gearing up for pre-planned hiatus in production later this month before resuming filming after Thanksgiving. Being so, Del Rio will appear in multiple episodes before being written out. Hours after his exit was revealed, Leah Lewis broke her silence with a statement.
Leah Lewis releases statement after David Del Rio was fired from Matlock
Matlock star Leah Lewis broke her silence on the situation surrounding David Del Rio's firing with a post on her Instagram Stories. While she didn't directly speak on the private matter or mention the actor by name, the actress shared a photo of herself embracing her mother and smiling. She also shared some words that express how she's feeling and thanking fans for their support.
"Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the takeaway," Lewis wrote on her Instagram story. See the photo Lewis posted with her mother and the caption she wrote in the image below:
Based on Lewis' caption, the Matlock star doesn't appear to be inclined to further comment on the matter as she's committed to "moving forward in love and strength." The situation is also still developing, and Lewis should be given privacy during this particular time. CBS and Paramount's swift handling of the allegations on Lewis' behalf offers some insight into the situation.
Del Rio's exit from the series likely won't have an impact on the show until the episodes that will air in early 2026. As the news only broke before Matlock season 2 premiered and the writers still have to figure out what's next, there's no word on how Billy will be written out and whether a new character will be added to replace the empty space in the cast.
In the following weeks and months, fans will surely learn more details about what's next for Matlock season 2, though decisions probably won't be announced until the season gets a few episodes in. It's going to be a season of change for Matty Matlock and the team in more ways than one.
Matlock season 2 premieres Sunday, Oct. 12 on CBS and returns to its regular Thursday night timeslot on Oct. 16 at 9/8c.