Tyler Perry Deposition Fight Heats Up as Judge Weighs Actor's Request in Sexual Assault Lawsuit

A judge is weighing whether actor Mario Rodriguez can force Tyler Perry to sit for a deposition sooner in his sexual assault and battery lawsuit against the filmmaker.

At a hearing July 22, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brock Hammond took the matter under submission after previously issuing a tentative ruling against Rodriguez’s motion, according to MyNewsLA.

Perry has already agreed to appear for an in-person deposition on December 9, and Hammond wrote that Rodriguez had acknowledged Perry was unavailable in June before serving the deposition notice.

Hammond wrote in the tentative ruling that the motion “lacks merit.”

Rodriguez’s $77 million lawsuit claims he met Perry at a gym in 2015 before landing a role in Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016) and later visited Perry’s home, where he alleges he was sexually assaulted. He is represented by Jonathan Delshad.

Perry has denied every allegation. His attorneys said their client had already agreed to the December 9 deposition date, and that the latest “frivolous motion” to move the date forward came after Perry declined a settlement demand.

“Having secured an agreed time and place for Mr. Perry’s deposition, plaintiff floated his interest in a multimillion-dollar settlement and when Mr. Perry wouldn’t take the bait, he filed a public motion to attempt to harm Mr. Perry’s reputation,” Perry’s lawyers wrote.

The deposition fight follows another discovery dispute. In court documents obtained by TMZ, Perry’s legal team said Rodriguez sought sanctions after Perry objected to questions about his sexual orientation.

Perry’s lawyers argued the questions are irrelevant to the lawsuit and rejected the idea that Perry was avoiding the topic out of embarrassment. The filing said Rodriguez’s theory relies on a “bigoted stereotype” that “a man who is attracted to men is more likely to have assaulted another man.”

Perry is seeking sanctions against Rodriguez, alleging abuse of the discovery process.

The case comes as Perry also faces separate allegations from actor Derek Dixon, who has accused him of sexual harassment and assault connected to The Oval and Ruthless. Dixon, also represented by Delshad, is seeking $260 million. Perry has denied those allegations as well.