Tyler Perry’s Sex Accuser Claims He Refused Questions About His Sexuality

Tyler Perry has denied claims that he tried to dodge a deposition tied to his ongoing legal battle with accuser Mario Rodriguez.

Perry, the Atlanta-based filmmaker, playwright, and actor behind the Madea franchise, built one of the most commercially successful empires in Hollywood history through his namesake studio and a string of box office hits.

He has spent recent months fighting a sexual assault lawsuit filed by Rodriguez, a model and aspiring actor who once appeared in a minor role in “Boo! A Madea Halloween.”

New court filings claim the filmmaker would only sit for questioning if his legal team secured a guarantee that he would not be asked about his sexual orientation.

Perry’s attorney says that the account is false and insists the director never refused to appear or answer any question put to him.

What The New Filing Claims

Rodriguez is asking a court to sanction Perry, arguing the filmmaker has dodged a deposition he has been trying to schedule since mid-April.

According to the filing, Rodriguez says Perry’s legal team would only agree to the sit-down on condition that no one ask whether Perry is, or has ever been, sexually attracted to men. Rodriguez calls that demand unreasonable, noting Perry has faced similar claims from other men in the past.

Court documents indicate Perry’s side views any questioning about his sexuality as unrelated to the underlying claims in the case. His team reportedly worries that opening the door to such questions could shift the deposition into territory they consider irrelevant and inflammatory rather than focused on the actual allegations.

That tension between the two camps is now at the center of the sanctions request as it works its way through the docket.

Perry’s Camp Calls The Motion Meritless

Attorney Alex Spiro, who represents Perry, did not hold back when addressing the new filing. He said the case has been a shakedown from the start and described the latest motion as frivolous.

Spiro maintains that Perry showed up when required and never refused to answer a single line of questioning during the proceedings tied to the case.

Spiro added that Perry’s team intends to pursue sanctions of its own in response to the accusations. The back-and-forth marks the latest flashpoint in a legal fight that has dragged on for months.

Neither side has shown signs of backing down as the case moves through the pretrial procedure.

Background On The Underlying Lawsuit

Rodriguez filed suit against Perry in late 2025, accusing him of sexual assault, sexual battery, and infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit seeks $77 million in damages.

Rodriguez says he first met Perry in 2015 through a mutual connection, a relationship that he claims eventually helped him land a small role in Boo! A Madea Halloween.

According to the complaint, Rodriguez alleges Perry assaulted him during a visit to his home in 2018. He claims Perry asked about his comfort with oral sex before grabbing him inappropriately, then later gave him $5,000 along with an apology.

Rodriguez further alleges a separate incident in which Perry forced contact between them, followed by another cash payment.

Perry and his legal team have firmly denied every allegation in the suit. They argue that Rodriguez continued to reach out to Perry well after the alleged incidents, often asking for financial help.

Perry’s side contends the assault claims only surfaced after he stopped sending money, suggesting the lawsuit is rooted in a financial dispute rather than misconduct.

Texts And Evidence Take Center Stage

Alleged text exchanges between the two men have already become a flashpoint in the case. Messages reportedly show Rodriguez thanking Perry for financial assistance and separately asking for help covering dental costs.

Perry’s team has pointed to those exchanges as evidence that undercuts the timeline and tone of Rodriguez’s allegations.

Rodriguez has pushed back on that framing, arguing that friendly or grateful messages do not erase what he says happened between them. His legal team has maintained that staying in contact with an alleged abuser, including asking for financial support, does not invalidate an assault claim.

That dispute over the meaning of the texts remains unresolved as both sides prepare for further proceedings.

The case remains active, with no ruling yet on either the original allegations or the new sanctions motion. Both sides appear positioned for a prolonged legal fight as pretrial disputes continue to mount.

Further hearings are expected to address the dispute over the deposition before the case can move toward resolution.

As the case heads toward its next phase, both the dispute over the deposition and the underlying assault claims remain unresolved. Perry’s team appears intent on pressing the sanctions request as proof that the lawsuit lacks merit, while Rodriguez’s side shows no sign of backing off its position.