Tyler Perry has issued a defiant response in his ongoing legal war with Mario Rodriguez, declaring that he is not embarrassed by his sexual orientation while accusing his sexual assault accuser of attempting to pressure him into a settlement.
The forceful filing marks another dramatic turn in their $77 million court battle, as the media mogul rejects claims that he has been avoiding questions under oath.
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According to TMZ, Perry says he has already agreed to sit for a deposition.
Rodriguez previously alleged that the filmmaker would not appear unless questions concerning whether he is attracted to men were taken off the table.
Perry disputes that account and argues that his sexual orientation is irrelevant to the allegations being litigated. His filing reportedly describes any suggestion that attraction to men makes someone more likely to assault another man as a “bigoted stereotype.”
The 56-year-old also claims Rodriguez filed the deposition motion after Perry rejected a multimillion-dollar settlement proposal. He characterizes the move as an attempt to damage his reputation and “bully” him into making a payout.
Media mogul Perry is now requesting that Rodriguez be sanctioned for $7,300 over what his team alleges is an abuse of the discovery process.
As previously reported, Rodriguez alleges that Perry sexually assaulted him following their 2015 meeting and his subsequent appearance in ‘Boo! A Madea Halloween.’
Perry denies all wrongdoing and has repeatedly branded the lawsuit a “money grab.”
The case remains ongoing.
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Dang Tyler you done let them bait u into coming out
Uhmmmmm that’s not Daniel Rodriguez photographed opposite of Tyler Perry in the post. This is the first accuser from The Oval