Private conversations that Tyler Perry has already surrendered in a $77 million sexual assault lawsuit are now the subject of another disagreement. The filmmaker wants to stop his accuser, Mario Rodriguez, from publicly disclosing text messages involving people not involved in the case. Perry argues that the exchanges contain sensitive financial information and were never intended for public consumption.
Perry turned over the messages during discovery but maintains that both sides previously agreed to keep them confidential, TMZ reported Thursday (Oct. 29). His latest court filing seeks to preserve that arrangement, particularly for associates whose private conversations were included in the material.
The director insists that those individuals have no connection to Rodriguez's allegations and shouldn't have their personal communications exposed simply because they're acquainted with him. He contends that making the messages public would subject them to unnecessary embarrassment. Rodriguez hasn't formally responded to the latest request, leaving Perry's demand for confidentiality unchallenged in the filings reported so far.
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Tyler Perry And Mario Rodriguez Continue Fighting Over Evidence
The disagreement stems from a lawsuit Rodriguez filed in December 2025, accusing Perry of sexually assaulting him during private encounters. Rodriguez, who appeared in the filmmaker's 2016 comedy Boo! A Madea Halloween, claims they met at a gym in 2015 before Perry helped him secure a small role in the movie.
In his complaint, Rodriguez alleged that Perry made unwanted sexual advances during subsequent visits to his home. He described a 2018 encounter in which Perry allegedly touched his genitals without consent before apologizing and giving him $5,000. Rodriguez also claimed he received another $5,000 after a separate incident involving unwanted sexual contact.
Perry has denied the accusations, arguing that Rodriguez continued communicating with him afterward and repeatedly sought financial assistance. His attorney, Alex Spiro, previously characterized the lawsuit as a "shakedown" and maintained that the allegations lack merit. Moreover, the two have also clashed over what Rodriguez should be permitted to ask during Perry's deposition. Earlier this year, Rodriguez sought sanctions after accusing Perry of refusing to answer questions concerning his sexual orientation. Perry disputed that account, with his attorneys arguing that such questions were irrelevant to the allegations.
In July, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brock Hammond rejected Rodriguez's motion to compel Perry's deposition after finding that the filmmaker had already agreed to testify on Dec. 9. The latest dispute raises another question about the boundaries of discovery, although the text messages themselves have already been provided to Rodriguez's legal team. A ruling on their confidentiality hasn't been reported.
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