Tyler Perry, the entertainment mogul, is pushing back against a $77 million sexual assault lawsuit filed against him, with his legal team describing the claims as “frivolous” and a blatant attempt to extort money from him.
On December 25, Mario Rodriguez, who appeared with Perry in the 2016 film Boo! A Madea Halloween, sued the billionaire filmmaker for alleged sexual battery and assault.
Rodriguez claimed Perry subjected him to unwanted sexual advances on multiple occasions between 2014 and 2019.
However, Perry’s attorneys including high-profile lawyer Alex Spiro filed a formal response on February 27 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, denying the allegations made by Rodriguez.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Perry, who wrote, directed and starred in the film in which Rodriguez had “a very minor role”, said the allegations outlined in the lawsuit “have no basis in fact or law and no merit”.
In the court filing, Perry’s legal team argued that after being cast in a small role, Rodriguez “repeatedly turned to Perry as his personal piggy bank”, allegedly requesting financial assistance for his apartment, car, unpaid bills, and even medical services.
According to the filing, Perry, 56, said that when he stopped providing money, Rodriguez resorted to fabricating allegations of a non-consensual relationship to “ignite a media firestorm” and secure a financial payout.
In June 2025, Derek Dixon, another film star, also sued Perry for $260 million over alleged sexual harassment.
