As Tyler Perry battles a second $77 million sexual assault lawsuit, a possible blackmail scheme has emerged.
Newly revealed text messages suggest that Mario Rodriguez, the actor accusing Tyler Perry of sexual assault, allegedly reached out to the filmmaker months before filing suit, asking for financial help while describing serious health and money struggles. The messages, obtained by Page Six, are now being cited by Perry’s legal team as evidence that the lawsuit is financially motivated.
Rodriguez, who appeared in Perry’s 2016 comedy “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” allegedly contacted Perry in August, claiming he was sick, uninsured, and barely surviving. In one text dated August 31, Rodriguez allegedly wrote, “brother haven’t been feeling ok confused and lil nauseous… I promised you I would never ask you for anything, but if it is what I think it is, I don’t think I could do it on my own because I barely pay my bills.”
He reportedly went on to say he was “scared af,” explaining that he feared developing sepsis like his father. In other messages, Rodriguez allegedly told Perry he felt sick most days, could not afford medical care, and insisted he was not lying about his condition.
In November, Rodriguez allegedly sent Perry a message expressing deep appreciation, writing, “Just know that I love you, and I thank you for everything. I appreciate you to the moon.” Perry allegedly responded, “Happy Thanksgiving my friend… You don’t have to give me a thing or pay me a thing. I’m just glad you’re good.”
Despite those exchanges, Rodriguez filed a lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing Perry of sexual assault incidents between 2016 and 2019. Perry’s attorney, Alex Spiro, dismissed the filing as “nothing but a $77 million money grab scam.”
The case arrives months after actor Derek Dixon filed a separate lawsuit alleging similar conduct tied to Perry’s BET series “The Oval.”
With private messages now part of the public record, the legal fight is shifting beyond allegations alone and into questions about timing, motive, and intent, a conversation that is already heating up online.
If these texts are legit, the defense isn’t just “not guilty”; it’s “I have the screenshots.”
We’ve moved past a standard legal dispute and straight into a masterclass on why you should never text your problems to the person you plan on suing later.