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    Tyler Perry sued for sexual assault by “Boo! A Madea Halloween” actor seeking $77 million

    By SHOOTNo Comments239 Views
    Tyler Perry arrives at the BET Awards, June 9, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

    By Jonathan Landrum Jr., Entertainment Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Tyler Perry was sued for sexual assault by an actor who appeared in “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” marking the second lawsuit in recent months accusing the filmmaker and studio mogul of leveraging his power in Hollywood to make sexual advances.

    Mario Rodriguez filed the lawsuit Thursday in California, alleging Perry subjected him to repeated unwanted sexual advances over several years, including sexual battery and assault at Perry’s Los Angeles home. Rodriguez is seeking at least $77 million in damages and also has sued Lionsgate, which distributed the 2016 film, accusing the studio of turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct.

    Lionsgate did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

    In a statement, Perry’s lawyer denied the allegations.

    According to the complaint, Rodriguez was approached in 2014 by a trainer at an Equinox gym in Los Angeles who said Perry wanted his phone number to discuss an acting role. Perry later encouraged Rodriguez to audition for “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” telling him, “I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner,” the lawsuit claims.

    After Rodriguez was cast, he was invited to Perry’s home, where Perry allegedly touched him inappropriately while they watched a movie. The lawsuit describes additional alleged incidents in 2016, 2018 and 2019, including one encounter in which Perry allegedly attempted to unbuckle Rodriguez’s pants and another in which Perry placed Rodriguez’s hand on his genitals. The complaint says Perry gave Rodriguez $5,000 on multiple occasions following the encounters.

    Rodriguez says he resisted the advances and ultimately decided to file suit after learning of similar allegations made by another actor, Derek Dixon.

    Dixon sued Perry in June, alleging the filmmaker groped him while Dixon worked on Perry’s television series “The Oval” and “Ruthless.” That lawsuit, which was originally filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, has reportedly since been moved to federal court in Georgia, where Perry’s studio is based.

    Rodriguez’s lawsuit includes claims of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

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    Tech CEOs summoned to Congress for June 23rd hearing on social media’s risks for children

    Saturday, May 16, 2026
    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 31, 2024, to discuss child safety. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

    Social media CEOs once again are being called to testify before the Senate in light of mounting legal and public pressure to protect young users on their platforms.

    The leaders of Meta, Alphabet, TikTok and Snap were invited to testify next month before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a committee spokesperson confirmed Friday.

    The hearing comes at an inflection point for social media as court cases, proposed legislation and increased advocacy place mounting pressure on the tech companies behind these platforms to protect children and teens who use them by making material changes to how they operate.

    "Americans are realizing more and more every day that they cannot trust the CEOs at the helms of these companies because they do not put our safety first," said Sacha Haworth, executive director of watchdog group The Tech Oversight Project. "If it feels like the pace is accelerating, it's because it is."

    The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies were last called to testify before the same committee in January 2024, when lawmakers grilled them on questions about the exploitation of children on their platforms and social media's effects on young people's lives.

    The June 23 hearing is titled "Examining Tech Industry Practices and the Implications for Users and Families: Is This Social Media's Big Tobacco Moment?" The executives were invited by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet and Google, which owns YouTube, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok and Evan Spiegel of Snap received the invitations for the upcoming hearing. Meta declined to comment. Representatives from the other companies did not immediately respond to... Read More

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