Tyler Perry’s Lawyer Calls $77M Lawsuit a ‘Money Grab Scam’ as New Texts Between Accuser and Star Surface
- - Tyler Perry’s Lawyer Calls $77M Lawsuit a ‘Money Grab Scam’ as New Texts Between Accuser and Star Surface
Latoya GayleDecember 30, 2025 at 1:35 AM
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Bennett Raglin/Getty; Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
Tyler Perry; Mario Rodriguez -
Aspiring actor Mario Rodriguez is seeking $77 million in damages in a lawsuit filed against Tyler Perry alleging sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress
Alex Spiro, an attorney for Perry, said the lawsuit is "nothing but a 77 million dollar money grab scam" in a statement on Monday, Dec. 29
Newly surfaced text messages allegedly show Perry telling Rodriguez, "You don’t have to give me a thing" when he was thanked for his friendship and Rodriguez later venting about his financial issues to Perry just months before suing him
Tyler Perry allegedly told Mario Rodriguez that he didn’t want anything in return for providing him with professional opportunities in a text message believed to have been sent to the aspiring actor, who is suing Perry for sexual assault.
On Thursday, Dec. 25, Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against the filmmaker and media mogul, 56, in California, alleging that Perry sexually assaulted him and made unwanted sexual advances with the promise of roles. Rodriguez — a model who landed a minor role in Perry's 2016 movie Boo! A Madea Halloween — is seeking $77 million in damages.
Alex Spiro, an attorney for Perry, told PEOPLE in a statement on Dec. 29, “I said it before and I will say it again. This is nothing but a 77 million dollar money grab scam.”
Newly surfaced text messages viewed by PEOPLE appear to show that Rodriguez referred to Perry as a “friend” over Thanksgiving 2024 and spoke about his health and financial issues to him just months ago.
“Just know that I love you and I thank you for everything. I appreciate you to the moon,” read one of Rodriguez’s alleged texts to Perry. “You got my Mexican ass out of a lot of bad places and I just wanna tell you thank you.”
Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate
Mario Rodriguez (third from right) in "Boo! A Madea Halloween" (2016)
Rodriguez allegedly followed up with two more text messages expressing his appreciation for Perry.
“I can’t buy you anything, but I just wanna tell you that your boy right here appreciates you more than anything,” Rodriguez’s alleged text read. “Straight from my heart bro nothing I wouldn’t do for you man anyways enjoy your time and I hope I see you again soon.”
Perry appears to have responded to the series of alleged text messages from Rodriguez in November 2024, saying, “Happy Thanksgiving my friend. Yeap you’ve been through it. I’m glad you’re doing well. You don’t have to give me a thing or pay me a thing. I’m just glad you’re good.”
Rodriguez allegedly replied, “I’m still going through it but you know me man, I’m a survivor just like you are and I’m glad that you’re my friend and I love you bro, respectfully.”
The lawsuit claims Perry would "randomly reach out to" Rodriguez "through 2024."
Though Rodriguez claims to have stopped talking to Perry except for occasional outreach from the director, a source tells PEOPLE that Rodriguez continued to reach out to Perry, with the texts viewed by PEOPLE apparently sent in November 2024 and August 2025.
In a series of text messages Rodriguez allegedly sent Perry on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, he vented about being short of money to pay bills and to obtain health insurance. The texts appear to have been sent after a final alleged encounter between the pair in April 2019, which is described in the lawsuit, and after a lawsuit was filed against Perry by Derek Dixon, making similar allegations.
Rodriguez is being represented by attorney Jonathan J. Delshad, who also represented Derek Dixon, another actor who made similar allegations against Perry in June 2025. Perry has previously denied those claims.
PEOPLE contacted Delshad for comment on Monday, Dec. 29.
Spiro told PEOPLE in a statement on Dec. 26, the day after Rodriguez's lawsuit was filed, "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." However, Delshad said Dixon’s claims "are alive and well, and none of them have failed; they were just moved to a different court,” as the case is being relocated from California to Georgia.
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One of the alleged texts from Rodriguez to Perry in August read, “Brother haven’t been feeling OK confused and lil nauseous I got blood work thinks its my teeth I know it’s none of your business idk [I don’t know] what do I know I promised you I would never ask you for anything, but if it what I think it is, I don’t think I could do it on my own because I barely pay my bills scared af [as f---] I don’t want to get sepsis like my dad and pass away I don’t even wanna mention it because I don’t wanna make it real."
Emma McIntyre/Getty
Tyler Perry in 2024
“Feel sick most days never told anybody this but my mom and everyone is starting to notice my broke a--. Don’t have insurance,” he allegedly texted. “I’d never lie to you, but I think that’s what wrong.
“My dentist is supposed to take care of in Beverly Hills, but he’s in prison for fraud,” a third text allegedly sent by Rodriguez read. “I’ve always been healthy but lately I’ve been waking up confused and dizzy and a bunch of stuff. I just can’t go to the doctor because I can’t even afford it. I don’t want anything. I just wanna be OK.”
He allegedly concluded the series of messages to Perry by texting, “Scared brother.”
In the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE, Rodriguez claims he was introduced to Perry through a trainer at a Los Angeles gym in 2015. He eventually landed the role of "Frat Guy #10" in Boo! A Madea Halloween.
The complaint alleges that Rodriguez was repeatedly invited to Perry’s home under the guise of discussing future work projects, but was then presented with sexual advances while drinking.
Perry allegedly would tell Rodriguez to "let it happen" and "If you were to just be with me, I would take care of you...." The lawsuit claims that after two incidents, Perry allegedly apologized, handed him $5,000 "and sent him away."
At a final alleged encounter in April 2019, "More than ever before, it was clear that Mr. Perry would do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, to whomever he wanted no matter how many times he was rejected,” per the complaint.
The lawsuit claims Perry would "randomly reach out to" Rodriguez throughout 2024. When Perry discovered that Rodriguez was taking legal action against him, he allegedly sent a text telling him he "did so much to help Rodriguez" and he "was feeling betrayed."
Rodriguez explained why he hadn’t come forward sooner in an Instagram video on Dec. 13. While he didn’t mention Perry by name, he referred to a "powerful" director "that everybody knows."
"I stayed quiet for much too long. And I just want to say I'm really sorry, man. Because if I would've spoken up sooner I could've saved somebody that this probably happened to after me," Rodriguez said in the video. "I just wanna say sorry for that, whoever that may be. It could've stopped with me if I would've said something. ... But I'm speaking up now."
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
