Tyler Perry has denied allegations that he refused to participate in a deposition as part of an ongoing sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by Mario Rodriguez, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Sanctions Requested by Rodriguez
According to the filings, Rodriguez has requested sanctions against Perry, claiming the filmmaker failed to appear for a scheduled deposition despite attempts to arrange the testimony since April. Rodriguez also alleged that Perry would only agree to sit for the deposition if questions regarding his sexual orientation were excluded.
The filing states that Perry's legal team argued questions about whether the filmmaker is or has been attracted to men are irrelevant to the lawsuit and could become inflammatory. Rodriguez disagreed, claiming the topic could be relevant to the case.
Perry's Attorney Responds
Perry's attorney, Alex Spiro, denied the accusations in a statement to TMZ, saying Perry did not fail to appear for a deposition and did not refuse any line of questioning. Spiro called the claims meritless and said Perry's legal team would seek sanctions in response.
Background of the Lawsuit
The dispute is part of a larger lawsuit filed by Rodriguez, who has accused Perry of sexual assault, sexual battery and other related claims. The lawsuit is seeking $77 million in damages. Rodriguez claims he met Perry in 2015, which later led to him securing a role in the filmmaker's production Boo! A Madea Halloween. He alleges Perry assaulted him during later encounters and provided financial payments afterward.
Perry has denied all allegations. Perry's legal team has argued that Rodriguez continued communicating with him following the alleged incidents and requested financial assistance. They claim the accusations were made only after Perry stopped providing money. The lawsuit remains ongoing, and no court has made a ruling on the allegations.
