EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Perry's Deposition Drama — Movie Mogul Blasts Accuser's Bid to Probe His Private Life
Tyler Perry challenges an accuser's bid to probe his private life during a legal dispute.
July 28 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Tyler Perry is fighting back against allegations he is dodging a deposition in a $77million sexual battery lawsuit to avoid answering questions about his sexual orientation and his relationship with his accuser, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Madea star's lawyers responded by filing court papers claiming model Mario Rodriguez is trying to "manufacture" a dispute over the deposition date in an effort to embarrass Perry into settling the lawsuit rather than taking it to trial.
Perry Rejects Settlement Pressure
Tyler Perry denied claims he is avoiding a deposition in Mario Rodriguez's $77 million sexual battery lawsuit.
"Having secured an agreed time and place for Mr. Perry's deposition, [Rodriguez] floated his interest in a multimillion-dollar settlement, and when Mr. Perry wouldn't take the bait, [Rodriguez] filed a public motion to attempt to harm Mr. Perry's reputation," Perry's legal team wrote in the court filing.
"That is because [Rodriguez] knows he cannot win this case on the facts, so he stooped to harassing Mr. Perry, including with endless discovery disputes.
"But Mr. Perry will not cave."
The movie mogul, 56, is also fighting off a $260million claim filed by actor Derek Dixon, who accuses Perry of using his powerful position to create a "coercive, sexually exploitive dynamic" during the shooting of the TV project The Oval.
Lionsgate Films is also named as a co-defendant in Rodriguez's lawsuit, with Rodriguez's lawyer, Jonathan J. Delshad, arguing the film studio "should have known [of] Perry's misconduct and his propensity for sexually harassing employees."
Perry Denies All Allegations
Lionsgate Films asked to be dismissed from Mario Rodriguez's lawsuit against Perry, denying liability.
Perry has vehemently denied the allegations, branding them as a "money grab" and arguing Rodriguez's allegation is based on "a decade's worth of falsehoods, misrepresentations and outlandish claims that have no basis in fact [or] law and no merit."
In court papers, Lionsgate denied liability and is seeking to be dismissed from the lawsuit, arguing it had no knowledge of Perry's alleged conduct.
Perry argued his sexuality – the subject of long-standing public speculation – is not relevant to the case because it will distract from the hard facts.
Lawyers Oppose Sexuality Questions
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Perry's lawyers argued questions about the filmmaker's sexual orientation are irrelevant to the lawsuit.
"To be clear, Mr. Perry is not embarrassed to answer questions about his sexual orientation, but that does not justify [Rodriguez's] improper inquiry," Perry's lawyers argued.
"The prejudice he seeks to unleash is clear and does not turn on whether Mr. Perry is straight or gay. If Mr. Perry testifies that he is not attracted to men, his case will be converted into a witch hunt about his sexuality."
