Matlock has come back with a Season 2, and while it continues to delve into the story of Matty Matlock’s investigation into her daughter’s mysterious death, David Del Rio’s Billy, one of the primary characters in the show, is notably missing from the show this time around. As per reports, he was fired from the show during the filming of the second season.
Here’s what happened to Del Rio.
Why was David Del Rio fired from Matlock?
David Del Rio had a major part in the first season of Matlock. At the end of the debut season, it was confirmed that Billy was indeed the father of Claudia’s child. The pair also decided to raise the child together. But something unforeseen happened during the filming of the second season of Matlock.
During the filming of Matlock, Del Rio was fired after an internal investigation into an incident of alleged sexual assault. Leah Lewis reportedly accused Del Rio of alleged sexual assault. The incident allegedly took place in Lewis’ trailer on the Paramount lot on September 26, 2025.
An investigation took place instantly after the accusation, and Del Rio was fired the same day. The firing and the investigation took place on October 2. Neither Del Rio nor CBS has yet commented on the incident.
Leah Lewis has also been largely silent about this. The only thing she did was make a cryptic post that seemed to hint at the incident, though not very directly. She posted an Instagram story where she wrote, “Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Let that be the takeaway (via ScreenRant),” along with a picture of herself with her mother.
This does pose several narrative problems for the series, too. With Billy gone, there will be a lot to adjust in the second season, especially as some of his parts were already shot.
It is yet to be seen how Matlock Season 2 handles this firing.
