Matlock actor David Del Rio fired after sexual assault investigation

David Del Rio, a series regular on the CBS legal drama Matlock, was removed from the show this week after an internal investigation into a reported sexual assault, people familiar with the matter said. The alleged incident involved co-star Leah Lewis, and the report prompted studio officials to immediately eject Del Rio from the Paramount lot, according to those people.

Sources said the incident occurred on September 26 and was reported to production on October 2, triggering an internal inquiry. Following that investigation, Del Rio was fired and escorted from the set the same day the allegation was reported. An executive producer was reported to be among those who accompanied him off the lot. CBS Studios declined to comment.

Del Rio portrayed first-year associate Billy Martinez at the Jacobson Moore firm and had been a regular since the series debuted. He appears in several episodes completed for the second season, but the creative team plans to write his character out of future episodes and revise scripts to reflect his departure, people familiar with the production said. Filming has continued, and the series is entering a preplanned production hiatus after completing roughly...