Hollywood filmmaker Tyler Perry has accused Mario Rodriguez—the man suing him for alleged sexual assault—of trying to coerce him into a multimillion-dollar settlement through court filings.
According to TMZ, Perry, 56, claims Rodriguez is misusing the legal process to damage his reputation after Perry declined a settlement offer.
The dispute centers on Rodriguez’s request for the court to sanction Perry, alleging that Perry refused to appear for a deposition. Rodriguez reportedly planned to question Perry about his sexual orientation during the deposition.
Perry’s legal team countered these claims, stating that Perry had already agreed to sit for a deposition and was not refusing to answer questions regarding his sexuality. They argued that Rodriguez’s insistence that Perry should be embarrassed to discuss his sexual orientation is based on a “backwards belief,” which Perry firmly rejects.
Perry further alleges that Rodriguez only filed the motion for sanctions after Perry turned down a multimillion-dollar settlement proposal, calling it an attempt to pressure him into settling the lawsuit.
Additionally, Perry’s attorneys maintain that questions about his sexual orientation are irrelevant to the case’s allegations. They argue Rodriguez’s legal strategy relies on the “bigoted stereotype” that a man attracted to other men is more likely to commit sexual assault against another man.
Perry is not only asking the court to deny Rodriguez’s motion but is also seeking $7,300 in sanctions against Rodriguez for alleged abuse of the discovery process.
Rodriguez, who acted alongside Perry in 2016’s ‘Boo! A Madea Halloween,’ filed suit on December 25, accusing the billionaire filmmaker of sexual battery and assault, claiming Perry made unwanted sexual advances on multiple occasions between 2014 and 2019.
Perry’s attorneys, including high-profile lawyer Alex Spiro, have filed a formal response in Los Angeles County Superior Court, denying all allegations made by Rodriguez.
