The $77 million legal battle between Tyler Perry and actor Mario Rodriguez is getting complicated as private text messages between the two have officially hit the internet.
Rodriguez, who appeared in Perry’s 2016 film “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” filed a bombshell lawsuit on Christmas Day alleging that the media mogul subjected him to years of sexual assault and battery. However, the narrative took a sharp turn on December 29, 2025, when alleged messages surfaced showing Rodriguez repeatedly thanking Perry and even telling the filmmaker he loved him just months before the suit was filed.
In one of the leaked exchanges from Thanksgiving 2024, Rodriguez reportedly reached out to Perry to express his gratitude for the billionaire’s help during a rough patch.
“Just know that I love you and I thank you for everything. I appreciate you to the moon. You got my Mexican a** out of a lot of bad places and I just wanna tell you thank you.”
The text thread continued with Rodriguez allegedly telling Perry that there was “nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” while Perry replied by telling him he didn’t owe him a thing and that he was simply glad Rodriguez was doing well. Perry’s lead attorney, Alex Spiro, has already dismissed the entire lawsuit as a “money grab scam,” suggesting that these friendly messages prove the relationship was nothing more than a mentorship turned sour.
But Rodriguez isn’t letting the “polite” tone of the texts discredit his claims of abuse. In a fresh statement shared with People, the actor explained that staying on good terms with a powerful figure who controls your career is a common survival tactic for victims. He argued that the financial support he received was actually a tool used to manage guilt and maintain his silence.
When someone has influence over your career, your income, your future, you don’t feel free. Survivors often stay cordial. They often ask for help when they feel desperate.”
Rodriguez further clarified that the financial assistance Perry provided is not inconsistent with the allegations of assault. Instead, he claims these payments were part of the toxic power dynamic that followed the alleged abuse. His legal team is standing firm on the $77 million demand, pointing out that Rodriguez only felt comfortable coming forward after seeing similar allegations made by actor Derek Dixon earlier this year.
As the case moves through the court system, the focus will likely remain on whether these messages represent a genuine friendship or a calculated effort by a subordinate to stay in the good graces of a Hollywood titan.
For now, Perry continues to deny all charges, while Rodriguez insists that a “thank you” text doesn’t erase the harm he claims occurred behind closed doors.
