Tyler Perry is calling on a court to dismiss the $77 million sexual assault and battery lawsuit brought against him late last year by actor Mario Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, who appeared with Perry in 2016’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” sued the billionaire writer-director-producer, 56, on Christmas Day for alleged sexual battery and assault. The model claims that the film’s distributor, Lionsgate Films, was aware of the alleged misconduct.
Perry — who wrote, directed and starred in the film in which Rodriguez has “a very minor role” — says the allegations outlined in the lawsuit “have no basis in fact or law and no merit,” according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The Emmy winner said Rodriguez hoped he’d found a “golden goose” in the former, but pursued the lawsuit when his pleas for Perry’s help with footing bills went unanswered.
Perry’s lawyer Alex Spiro previously told the Daily News in a statement that Rodriguez’s suit was a “money grab” that will “fail.”
In the days after Rodriguez followed his suit, TMZ published text messages allegedly exchanged between himself and Perry, including a thread from August 2025.
In those messages, it appears Rodriguez told Perry that though he “promised you I would never ask you for anything,” he feared he needed dental work that he likely couldn’t afford “on my own because I barely pay my bills scared af I don’t want to get sepsis like my dad and pass away.”
“Don’t have insurance. I’d never lie to you, but I think that’s what [sic] wrong. My dentist is supposed to take care of in Beverly Hills, but he’s in prison for fraud,” wrote Rodriguez.
In another string of messages reportedly from 2024, Rodriguez thanks Perry “for everything. … I can’t buy you anything, but I just wanna tell you that your bouy right here appreciates you more than anything.”
Perry wishes Rodriguez a happy Thanksgiving and says he’s “glad you’re doing well. You don’t have to give me a thing or pay me a thing. I’m just glad you’re good.”
In his filing, Rodriguez claimed that after an above-board experience filming “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” Perry invited the former to his home for seemingly professional discussions only to attempt to unbuckle his guest’s pants or force Rodriguez’s hand onto his genitals.
Rodriguez said that Perry had a habit of then apologizing after the incidents — which spanned 2016 to 2019 — and giving him $5,000.
In June 2025, Derek Dixon — who starred on Perry’s show “The Oval” and also appeared in two episodes of his series, “Ruthless” — sued the multi-hyphenate for $260 million over alleged sexual harassment.
