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Warning: This article contains details of assault.

Tyler Perry has been revealed to be one of the highest paid movie creators in Hollywood, but is now the subject of a sexual assault lawsuit brought against him by an actor who appeared in Perry’s 2016 movie, Boo! A Madea Halloween.” According to the LA Superior Court, Mario Rodriguez has claimed that Perry made “unwanted sexual advances” towards the actor on several occasions, including a moment in 2018 when the actor says the director “tightly hugged” him and “grabbed his penis.”

Perry has become one of the driving forces in Hollywood, especially on Netflix with a multi-million-dollar contract that has seen him producing multiple TV shows and movies for the streamer, many of which have been slammed as trash by critics and audiences but still draw in huge viewing figures. Now Perry is attracting more legal claims for the second time this year, following allegations made in June by an actor who appeared on Perry’s BET series, The Oval.

The new claims from Rodriguez, who played “Frat Guy #10” in Boo! A Madea Halloween, include sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In addition to this, the actor is also seeking damages payments from Lionsgate for reportedly ignoring Perry’s actions at the time. The complaint states that in 2015 during a visit to Perry’s home screening room, the director “put a hand on Mr. Rodriguez’s leg and began rubbing his inner thigh right next to his penis.” It claims that Perry told him it was “alright.”

Tyler Perry Responded To the New Allegations

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Perry, denied the allegations. “Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab.”

The previous complaint against Perry by another aspiring actor, Derek Dixon, claimed that the director “pinned him against a wall and groped him.” That case, which was originally filed in California, has been moved to a federal court in Georgia.

This time, the claims are once again spread across multiple alleged incidents, including a second one in 2019 in which Rodriguez claims that Perry once again touched him and told him, “If you were to just be with me, I would take care of you, and you wouldn’t have to ever worry about anything.” On both this and the 2018 incident, it is claimed that Rodriguez was paid $5000 by Perry as “an apology.” According to the report, Rodriguez was inclined to pursue his own case against Perry after hearing of Dixon’s filing, with the statement saying:

“[He] realized that Mr. Perry was continuing to use his power and influence to sexually assault hopeful actors and, with the voice of others, decided that it was time to tell his story, to obtain justice, and to finally stop Mr. Perry.”