Matlock viewers were SHOCKED when news broke that fan fave David Del Rio had been fired from the CBS primetime series.
Rio was accused of sexual assault on the set of the popular series by one of his co-stars. It’s unclear what the writers plan to do about the rest of Billy Martinez’ scenes for Season 2.
Here’s what we know so far about the scandal on the set of the popular legal drama, which is well known for its female lead Kathy Bates. Keep reading for all the details!
Matlock Actor David Del Rio Fired
According to reports, David Del Rio was fired and escorted off the Matlock set on October 2nd. The actor was accused of sexually assaulting one of his co-stars, Leah Lewis (who plays the part of Sarah Franklin).
Details about what happened between the two co-stars are being kept under wraps, but CBS has launched their own internal investigation and the fact that Rio was fired doesn’t look good.
Deadline reported, “The alleged incident took place Sept. 26 and was reported on Oct. 2, after which the show’s producers and CBS Studios immediately launched an internal investigation. Del Rio was fired and escorted off the lot where the series films that same day on Oct. 2.”
Matlock: What Will Happen To Billy?
In the first season’s finale it was revealed that David Del Rio’s character Billy Martinez had a baby on the way, and his girlfriend was pregnant.
It will be interesting to see if the series writes the character out all together and explains away his exit, or if CBS chooses to recast the role.
Matlock Season 2 is set to premiere in just a few days on CBS. The first new episode will air on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 8:30 pm ET/8 pm PT. Then the popular legal series will return to its regular timeslot on the network on Thursday nights.
Will you be tuning in? Should CBS recast the role of Billy Martinez or write him out? Share your thoughts in the comments down below and don’t forget to keep checking back here on Celebrating The Soaps for more Matlock news and updates.
