Tyler Perry is pushing back against an effort to question him about his sexual orientation in an ongoing civil case. The filmmaker’s lawyers say the disputed deposition questions are irrelevant and designed to pressure him into settling with accuser Mario Rodriguez.
Tyler Perry’s lawyers alleged the deposition dispute was designed to embarrass him into settling
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Rodriguez asked a judge to sanction Perry over a deposition dispute in his $77 million lawsuit. Rodriguez claims Perry would not appear unless both sides agreed that attorneys could not ask whether he is attracted to men.
Perry disputes that account. His lawyers say he agreed to sit for the Tyler Perry deposition but objected to questions about his sexual orientation, which they argue have no bearing on whether the alleged conduct occurred. The disagreement follows an earlier deposition dispute between the two sides.
The filing says Rodriguez’s proposed questioning relies on the idea that a man attracted to men is more likely to assault another man. Perry’s lawyers called that theory a “bigoted stereotype” and said he should “be embarrassed to answer questions about his sexual orientation.”
They also alleged that Rodriguez raised the dispute after Perry rejected a multimillion-dollar settlement proposal. Perry’s team accused him of using court documents to harm the filmmaker’s reputation and push him toward a deal. Rodriguez’s motion argues that the questions are relevant to the sexual battery lawsuit.
Perry has asked the court to reject Rodriguez’s request and order him to pay $7,300 for allegedly abusing the discovery process. The judge had not publicly ruled on either request when TMZ reported the development.
Rodriguez sued Perry and Lionsgate in December 2025. He alleges Perry made unwanted sexual advances and sexually assaulted him during encounters between 2014 and 2019. Perry denies all allegations and has described the Madea star lawsuit as a financial shakedown.
Messages that surfaced after the lawsuit showed Rodriguez contacting Perry years after the alleged incidents and expressing gratitude and friendship. Rodriguez acknowledged the messages, but his lawyer said continued contact can occur in relationships involving a power imbalance.
The court must now decide how far the questioning may go and whether either side misused the discovery process. The lawsuit remains pending, and no judge or jury has ruled on the allegations.
TELL US: SHOULD DEPOSITION QUESTIONS BE LIMITED TO ISSUES DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO A LAWSUIT?
