Tyler Perry is facing a legal battle with Mario Rodriguez, who is taking another turn as the two sides disagree over the discovery process. Rodriguez’s lawsuit accuses Perry of sexual assault, allegations that he has repeatedly denied. A new court filing focuses on why the deposition did not take place, with both sides giving different explanations.
Tyler Perry addresses speculation during lawsuit response
Legal documents obtained by TMZ suggest that Rodriguez’s lawyers wanted to question Perry under oath about his sexual orientation during a deposition. It also includes whether the film director is attracted to men. The deposition did not take place, and Rodriguez’s legal team claimed that Perry refused to appear because he did not want to answer those questions.
The 56-year-old strongly denied that claim in his latest firing. He said he had already agreed to sit for a deposition and rejected the suggestion of avoiding questions about his sexuality. Pery said he is “not embarrassed” to answer questions about that matter and criticized what he described as the “backwards belief” that he should be ashamed to discuss it.
Tyler Perry also argued that questions about his sexuality have no relevance to the lawsuit. Perry said the idea that a man attracted to other men is more likely to assault another man is a “bigoted stereotype.” He also claimed Rodriguez filed the motion to pressure him into settling the case. Perry said this happened after he rejected a multimillion-dollar settlement offer.
The producer is now asking the court to order Rodriguez to pay $7,300 and claims that he misused the discovery process. However, the former soccer player sued Perry for $77 million. He said they met at a gym in 2015, and Perry later gave him a small role in his films.
Rodriguez accused Perry of sexually assaulting him on more than one occasion. He shared that Perry paid him $5,000 after one incident.
Meanwhile, the screenwriter has denied all the allegations. His legal team said Rodriguez stayed in contact with him for years. They also said he filed the lawsuit after Perry stopped giving him financial support.
