Inside Matlock: The Truth Behind the Leah Lewis and David Del Rio Controversy
Matlock’s 2025 season has been rocked by sexual assault allegations that led to the abrupt firing of series regular David Del Rio. Nearly two months after the scandal broke, co-star Leah Lewis, at the center of the controversy, is speaking out—intensifying the turmoil around the CBS reboot.
Matlock is back at work after a very messy couple of months. The CBS reboot’s 2025 season was thrown off course by sexual assault allegations against series regular David Del Rio, who was let go the day the complaint was filed. Now Leah Lewis has quietly returned to set and posted a quick update. Here’s what happened, how fast it moved, and where the show goes from here.
Leah Lewis is back on set
Almost two months after the headlines, Lewis shared an Instagram Story from the Matlock set, suited up as her character Sarah Franklin, captioned: “And we back up and running.” She has not detailed the allegation publicly, but shortly after the incident surfaced, she posted a brief note to fans:
“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.”
What we know, and how quickly it unfolded
- Sept. 26, 2025: The alleged incident involving Del Rio and co-star Leah Lewis reportedly occurs.
- Oct. 2, 2025: A complaint is filed. CBS/Paramount and the show’s producers conduct an internal review, and Del Rio is fired that same day. He was reportedly escorted off the studio lot by producer Eric Christian Olsen.
- Details beyond the internal process are not public. There’s no official information about what specifically happened, whether there were witnesses, any legal filings, or any external investigations.
- Production impact: Del Rio had appeared in all 19 episodes of Season 1 and had started work on Season 2. Filming continued after his exit, then went on a pre-planned hiatus. The writers reworked scripts to write out his character, Billy Martinez.
- CBS confirmed Del Rio’s departure but did not state a reason. Del Rio has not publicly addressed the allegation or the fallout.
The online blowback from Del Rio’s wife
While Lewis kept things measured, Del Rio’s wife, actress Katherine Del Rio, went public with a series of Instagram Stories targeting Lewis. One post featured a close-up of Lewis with the caption: “This is the most disturbing human being I’ve ever met.” After Lewis’ “Mom is here…” message, Katherine echoed it with her own: “Mom is here. We are moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you all for the love and support!” Those posts drew heavy criticism online, with many calling the comments victim-blaming. Katherine and David Del Rio share two young children, Lilia (2) and Coco (7 months).
Big picture
The speed here stands out. Same-day termination after an internal review isn’t something you used to see often, and the show kept rolling while quietly rewriting around a missing regular. It’s a stark example of how studios are handling serious allegations now: fast, decisive, and with minimal public detail.
Matlock airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
How are you feeling about the show’s approach and the way it handled the character’s exit?