Actor David Del Rio of the legal drama "Matlock" has been abruptly booted off the show following reports of alleged sexual assault.

CBS confirmed the news of Del Rio's departure with USA TODAY on Thursday, Oct. 9, but declined to comment further on reports of the sexual misconduct reported by Deadline and Variety. The outlets reported a female co star was involved.

A source tells USA TODAY the actor's exit occurred after CBS Studios was alerted to the incident involving Del Rio, which involved an investigation into the matter.

Del Rio, who plays attorney Billy Martinez in the procedural series, was allegedly escorted off the set of "Matlock" last week following an internal investigation, Variety reports. Deadline reports that the assault and firing happened at the beginning of the month.

Del Rio's representatives did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. USA TODAY has not confirmed the identity of the person accusing him of alleged sexual assault.

Del Rio's character will be written out of the series for future episodes, a source tells USA TODAY. The first half of the season has already been filmed and is set to premiere on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Production for the second half will begin after a pre-planned hiatus in October and November, unrelated to Del Rio's exit.

The series first premiered in September 2024, starring Kathy Bates as septuagenarian attorney Madeline Matlock, who joins a prestigious law firm with a secret agenda. Bates was nominated for an Emmy for her role in the best actress in a drama series category for "Matlock."

The show's cast is rounded out by Leah Lewis, Jason Ritter, Skye P. Marshall, Sam Anderson and Yael Grobglas.

New episodes of "Matlock" air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, according to Paramount.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Matlock' actor David Del Rio fired after alleged sexual assault report

Reporting by Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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