sexual

Singer Julio Iglesias issued a statement in response to allegations this week that he sexually assaulted two former employees at his homes in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The Grammy winner, the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias, on Thursday denied the allegations as “absolutely false” in an Instagram statement posted in Spanish. “I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman,” he said in his missive, which has been translated to English.

“These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness,” he wrote.

“I had never experienced such malice,” the singer, 82, added, according to the Associated Press, “but I still have the strength for people to know the full truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious affront.”

Prosecutors in Spain said they are studying the allegations against Iglesias this week, claims that surfaced in media reports this week. Spanish online paper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias this week published a joint investigation into accusations that Iglesias sexually and physically assaulted the former employees — two women who say they were live-in workers at his homes in the Caribbean — between January and October 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nongovernmental organization Women’s Link Worldwide is representing the two accusers, claiming Iglesias committed “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment” and of “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude.”

Spanish officials said they received a formal complaint about the allegations on Jan. 5. The court’s press office said Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, AP reported.

The Madrid-born singer rose to popularity in the late 1960s and is one of the world’s most successful music artists. He has sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages and garnered numerous Grammy nominations for his work, according to AP. A seven-time nominee, Iglesias won his first Grammy award in 1998, with his “Un Hombre Solo” winning the Latin Pop Performance prize.

Iglesias concluded his social media statement by thanking followers for their support.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish prosecutors are studying allegations that Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The Spanish prosecutor’s office told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the allegations were related to media reports from earlier this week that alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked in his Caribbean residences between January and October 2021.

Iglesias has yet to speak publicly regarding the allegations. Russell L. King, a Miami-based entertainment lawyer who lists Iglesias as a client on his website, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by the AP.

The Spanish prosecutor’s office that handles cases for Spain’s National Court said that it had received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to the court’s press office.

‘Forced labor and servitude’

Women’s Link Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization, said in a statement that it was representing the two women who had presented the complaint to the Spanish court. The group said that the women were accusing Iglesias of “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment” and of “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude.”

The organization said the women in their testimony also accused Iglesias of regularly checking their cellphones, of prohibiting them from leaving the house where they worked and demanding that they work up to 16 hours a day, with no contract or days off.

The organization said it did not reach out to authorities in the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic, and that it didn’t know whether authorities in those Caribbean nations had initiated an investigation.

Gema Fernández, senior attorney at Women’s Link Worldwide, said in an online news conference Wednesday that “Spanish legislation regarding sexual violence, gender-based violence and trafficking could be an interesting option” for the two women making the allegations against Iglesias.

“Listening to what [the two women] are seeking and their definitions of justice, it seems to us that filing a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court of Spain was the path that best suited their definition of justice. That is why we are supporting them along this path,” Fernández said.

Jovana Ríos Cisneros, executive director of Women’s Link Worldwide, asserted that Spanish prosecutors had decided to take statements from the two women and granted them the status of protected witnesses.

“Being heard by the Prosecutor’s Office is a very important step in the search for justice,” she said.

Fernández said prosecutors had not set a date to take statements from the women and noted that prosecutors have up to six months to determine whether the information they receive warrants a criminal prosecution. Those six months could be extended to a year, she added.

The prosecutor’s office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

A singer under scrutiny

Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint investigation into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.

Ríos said the two women initially contacted elDiario.es, which began investigating the allegations but also advised the women to seek legal help.

Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz said that the media reports regarding Iglesias “demanded respect.”

“Once again I can reaffirm this government’s firm and complete commitment to take on any act of violence, harassment or aggression against women,” Saiz said Tuesday after the media reports were published.

Panky Corcino, spokesman for the attorney general’s office in the Dominican Republic, declined to comment, saying he couldn’t confirm or deny an investigation.

By law, any case in the Caribbean country that involves sexual aggression or violence must be investigated by prosecutors, even if no one has filed a complaint.

The 82-year-old Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful musical artists after having sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages. After making his start in Spain, he won immense popularity in the United States and wider world in the 1970s and ’80s. He’s the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.

Julio Iglesias won a 1988 Grammy for best Latin pop performance for his album “Un Hombre Solo.” He also received a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 2019.

Spain’s culture minister said Wednesday that its left-wing government, which holds women’s rights and equality among its priorities, will also consider stripping Iglesias of the state’s Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts, which he was awarded in 2010.

“It is something we are studying and evaluating, because evidently we feel obliged to do so when faced by such a serious case,” Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said.

Wilson and Coto write for the Associated Press. Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press reporters Suman Naishadham in Madrid and Martín Adames in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, contributed to this report.

Human Rights Watch, a non-state global organisation defending human dignity, has accused members of armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly the M23/AFC rebels, as well as the Congolese national army, of committing sexual violence against women.

The independent watch organisation, in collaboration with SOFEPADI, a Congolese women’s rights think tank, resolved that conflict-related sexual violence in eastern DRC has escalated while support to survivors has drastically dropped.

The escalation of violent conflict in North Kivu and South Kivu, and the shrinking charity funds, have resulted in restricted access to healthcare, significantly hindering women and girls experiencing sexual violence from receiving comprehensive support. A number of clinics that once provided essential healthcare and assistance have had to shut down.

“The armed groups and the military forces utilise sexual violence as a war weapon in the eastern DR Congo,” said Ida Sawyer, the Director of the Crises, Conflict and Arms Division of Human Rights Watch. She underlined the fact that “survivors of these atrocious crimes are confronted by a climate of impunity which protects those responsible for the crimes and a health system deprived of accompanying measures”.

Formed in 2012 from a mutiny within the Congolese army, the M23 rebel group has long destabilised eastern DRC, after accusing the country of failing to honour a 2009 peace agreement. The group quickly gained control of territory in North Kivu, including Goma, in 2012. M23 is widely reported to be backed by Rwanda, a claim reinforced by UN reports of Rwandan military involvement. Its pro‑Tutsi identity and alleged foreign support have made it a flashpoint in the Great Lakes region, where ethnic divisions and mineral wealth fuel conflict. 

In January 2025, M23 fighters launched a major offensive and captured Goma after days of heavy battles with the Congolese army. The takeover left hundreds of civilians dead and hospitals overwhelmed. Congolese authorities accused Rwanda of deploying thousands of troops to support M23. On February 4, 2025, M23 declared a unilateral ceasefire citing humanitarian reasons, but analysts warn the conflict remains unresolved and tied to control of Congo’s mineral‑rich territories.

In November 2025, Human Rights Watch, in collaboration with the Office of Feminine Solidarity for Peace and Development, a local NGO in Beni and Bunia, interviewed 23 survivors of sexual violence in the northeastern region of the DRC. The researchers interacted with four Congolese survivors in Uganda who had fled from violence in Congo. They recounted scenes of extreme physical violence and their abandonment by local administrative and health authorities who were expected to come to their aid.

Human Rights Watch reported meeting with local health and judicial authorities in Congo, as well as representatives from national and international organisations that assist survivors. The organisation said it has reached out to the US State Department, the spokesperson for the Congolese government, and the leaders of the M23 rebellion to share their findings. However, they reportedly have not yet received a response from any of these entities.

Record executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid has settled a sexual assault lawsuit from former employee Drew Dixon, avoiding a jury trial that was set to begin Monday.

In 2023, Dixon filed a lawsuit under the New York Adult Survivors Act, alleging abuse from Reid including sexual harassment, assault and retaliation while she worked under him as an A&R representative at Arista Records.

Dixon alleged in her suit that Reid “digitally penetrated her vulva without her consent” on a private plane in 2001, and groped and kissed her against her will in another incident months later. She claims in her suit that Reid retaliated against her after she spurned his advances, berating her in front of staff after she brought in a young Kanye West for a label audition.

Reid said in court filings that he “adamantly denies the allegations,” but they contributed to the former mogul’s declining reputation within the music industry, after Reid left Epic Records in 2017 following separate claims of harassment.

Reid’s attorney Imran H. Ansari said in a statement to The Times that “Mr. Reid has amicably resolved this matter with Ms. Dixon without any admission of liability.” Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

In a statement to The Times, Dixon said that “I hope my work as an advocate for the Adult Survivors Act helps to bring us closer to a safer music business for everyone. In a world where good news is often hard to find, I hope for survivors that today is a ray of light peeking through the clouds. Music has always been my greatest source of comfort and joy. Even as a kid, I had an uncanny knack for predicting the next cool artist or album, the more eclectic the better. While I have focused on sexual assault advocacy in recent years, I have never stopped fighting for my place in this industry.”

The jury trial was slated to have testimony from some high-profile figures including John Legend, whom Dixon had tried to sign to the label. Dixon also accused the Def Jam mogul Russell Simmons of sexual assault in a 2017 New York Times article and in the 2020 documentary “On The Record.”

BBC

‘Swingers’

The report

‘Boys’ club’

‘Way to exit people’

Donnie McClurkin, the Grammy-winning gospel singer and minister who has publicly denounced homosexuality, has been sued for sexually abusing his former male personal assistant.

McClurkin, 66, faces allegations of sexual assault, sexual battery and more in the civil lawsuit filed Friday in New York County Supreme Court. The singer’s accuser, identified in court documents as Giuseppe Corletto, accuses McClurkin of sexually assaulting him numerous times from the start of his employment in 2004 to 2015. The complaint also includes an alleged email from the singer, in which he apologizes for his actions and writes, “I am the actual epitome of a desperate dirty ‘old man.’”

A legal representative for McClurkin denied the allegations as “categorically false.”

“At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto,” McClurkin attorney Gregory S. Lisi said in a statement shared Tuesday. “The claims set forth in the lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, which occurred over a decade, and some accusations over 2 decades, ago. All these allegations are contradicted by the real facts.”

Lisi added: “Pastor McClurkin denies each and every allegation of wrongdoing and intends to vigorously defend against this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. As this is now active litigation, Pastor McClurkin will not be commenting further at this time.”

The lawsuit claims Corletto was 21 years old and struggling with his sexuality when he met McClurkin, known for songs “I Call You Faithful” and “Wait on the Lord,” in August 2003. Corletto attended a reading for McClurkin’s 2001 book “Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor,” centered on the singer’s experience of “being delivered on homosexuality,” and met the singer, according to court documents. Corletto sought guidance from the Grammy winner, who hired him as a personal assistant.

The two men developed a mentor-mentee relationship and engaged in “pray the gay away” spiritual sessions “during which Defendant McClurkin groped Plaintiff’s genitals” without consent, according to the lawsuit. McClurkin had also allegedly “set up scenarios” between Corletto and other men and framed them as “tests from God.”

In 2007, Corletto and his girlfriend traveled with McClurkin and the singer’s family to California, where the artist allegedly sexually assaulted Corletto in a hotel room. The lawsuit alleges that McClurkin exposed himself to Corletto before pulling him onto a bed, forcefully kissing and grabbing his body and forcing Corletto to engage in anal sex. When Corletto confronted his boss about the alleged assault, McClurkin allegedly said he had no recollection and blamed Corletto’s behavior on medication. The singer “further manipulated Plaintiff, blaming him for the incident and convincing him that he was the sole culpable party,” confusing Corletto, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit alleges that McClurkin “exploited this tactic repeatedly, coercing Plaintiff into further unwanted sexual acts over the next six years,” including numerous alleged incidents while he was working at McClurkin’s church. The complaint details additional accounts of alleged sexual assault from 2007 to 2008.

Corletto had attempted to stop working for McClurkin multiple times, the lawsuit said, but the singer refused, telling his assistant “that his ‘deliverance’ and ‘purpose’ were tied” to him. The complaint adds that Corletto told several church staff members of the alleged sexual assault, but that “no action was taken.” Corletto stopped working for McClurkin in 2008, but continued running into the singer in the following years, the lawsuit said.

The “Again” artist allegedly sexually assaulted Corletto in 2012 in Orlando, where the latter was training for an airline job. McClurkin learned of his former employee’s location through one of Corletto’s friends and appeared at his hotel room. The lawsuit alleged McClurkin said he needed to talk to Corletto, who “reluctantly agreed to let” the singer into his room. Inside the hotel room, McClurkin allegedly “begged Plaintiff to have sex with him ‘one last time,’” but Corletto refused. Corletto alleges he woke up to find McClurkin masturbating and touching his body before the singer “forced himself again onto Corletto” and raped his former employee, the lawsuit says.

Corletto returned to McClurkin’s church in the summer of 2013 and joined the singer during a trip to Niagara Falls. McClurkin allegedly sexually assaulted Corletto again and days later sent an email apologizing for his actions, a screenshot included in the lawsuit shows. In addition to likening himself to a “desperate dirty ‘old man,’” per the lawsuit, McClurkin allegedly wrote to Corletto, “I forced myself on you … groping you … and when I think about it … you never touched me like that at all.” McClurkin also allegedly promised to be a friend and pastor to Corletto.

Two years after McClurkin sent the alleged email, Corletto returned to the singer’s church amid his struggles with mental health. The lawsuit claims McClurkin engaged in further sexual misconduct, “taking advantage of Plaintiff’s vulnerability and current fragile mental state.”

Corletto “sustained injury, emotional distress, physical pain, emotional pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life” as a result of the sexual assault, the complaint said. He seeks a jury trial, an unspecified amount in compensatory damages, legal fees and additional damages.

Times editorial library director Cary Schneider contributed to this report.

Will Smith and his company Treyball Studios Management Inc. are being sued by an electric violinist who is claiming wrongful termination, retaliation and sexual harassment — allegations denied by the actor-rapper-producer in a statement from his attorney.

Brian King Joseph alleges in a lawsuit filed earlier this week that Smith hired him to perform on the 2025 Based on a True Story tour, then fired him before the tour began in earnest in Europe and the U.K.

Joseph, who finished third in Season 13 of “America’s Got Talent,” went onto Instagram in the days before filing his lawsuit and posted a Dec. 27 video saying that he had been hired for “a major, major tour with somebody who is huge in the industry” but “some things happened” that he couldn’t discuss because it was a legal matter.

Electric violinist Brian King Joseph, seen performing at an awards show last October, is suing for wrongful termination, retaliation and sexual harassment.

(Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images for Media Access Awards)

But, he said, “Getting fired or getting blamed or shamed or threatened or anything like that, simply for reporting sexual misconduct or safety threats at work, is not OK. And I know that there’s a lot of other people out there who have been afraid to speak up, and I understand. If that’s you, I see you. … More updates to come soon.”

In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court and reviewed by The Times, Joseph alleges that he and Smith struck up a professional relationship in November 2024, after which Joseph performed at two of Smith’s shows in San Diego and was invited to perform on several tracks for Smith’s “Based on a True Story” album, which was released March 28.

After the performances in San Diego, Joseph posted video of a show on Instagram with the caption, “What an honor to share the stage with such legends and a dream team of musicians. From playing in the streets to sharing my music on stages like this, this journey has been nothing short of magic — and this is just the beginning. Grateful beyond words for every single person who made this possible.”

While working on the album, the lawsuit alleges, “Smith and [Joseph] began spending additional time alone, with Smith even telling [Joseph] that ‘You and I have such a special connection, that I don’t have with anyone else,’ and other similar expressions indicating his closeness to [Joseph].”

Joseph soon joined Smith and crew for a performance in Las Vegas, the lawsuit says — on March 20 at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay — with Smith’s team booking rooms for everyone involved. Joseph left his bag, which contained his room key, in a van that took performers to rehearsal, and then the bag went missing for a couple of hours after he requested someone get it for him, the suit says.

When Joseph returned to his room late that night, according to the complaint, he found evidence that someone had entered his room without his permission.

“The evidence included a handwritten note addressed to Plaintiff by name, which read ‘Brian, I’ll be back no later [sic] 5:30, just us (drawn heart), Stone F.,’” the document says. “Among the remaining belongings were wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual’s name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork belonging to a person unbeknownst to Plaintiff.”

Joseph worried that “an unknown individual would soon return to his room to engage in sexual acts” with him, the complaint says.

It adds that Joseph, “concerned for his safety and the safety of his fellow performers and crew,” alerted hotel security and representatives for Treyball and Smith, took pictures, requested a new room and reported the incident to police using a non-emergency line. Hotel security found no signs of forced entry, and Joseph flew home the next day.

Several days later, rather than being called on to join the next part of the tour, a Treyball representative told him the tour was “going in a different direction,” the lawsuit says, and that his services were no longer needed. The representative “redirected the blame for the termination onto [Joseph], replying, ‘I don’t know, you tell me, because everyone is telling me that what happened to you is a lie, nothing happened, and you made the whole thing up. So, tell me, why did you lie and make this up?’ [Joseph], shocked at the accusation, had nothing further to say,” as he believed the reports and evidence from Las Vegas spoke for themselves.

Joseph alleges in the lawsuit that as a result of events in Las Vegas and in the days immediately afterward, he suffered severe emotional distress, economic loss and harm to his reputation. He also alleges that the stress of losing the job caused his health to deteriorate and that he suffered PTSD and other mental illness after the termination.

“The facts strongly suggest that Defendant Willard Carroll Smith II was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation,” the lawsuit alleges. “The sequence of events, Smith’s prior statements to Plaintiff, and the circumstances of the hotel intrusion all point to a pattern of predatory behavior rather than an isolated incident.”

The Times was unable to reach publicists or a lawyer for Will Smith because of the holiday. However, Smith attorney Allen B. Grodsky told Fox News on Thursday that “Mr. Joseph’s allegations concerning my client are false, baseless and reckless. They are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light.”

Joseph’s attorney, Jonathan J. Delshad, recently filed sexual assault civil suits against Tyler Perry on behalf of actors who say they were not hired for future work by the billionaire movie and TV producer after they rejected his alleged advances.

Joseph is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and payment of attorney fees in an amount to be determined at trial.

The Based on a True Story tour played 26 dates in Europe and the U.K. last summer. Nine of the acts were headlining gigs, while the rest were festivals.

An actor who appeared in Tyler Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween” allegedly confided in the media mogul about health concerns and financial woes months before filing a $77-million sexual assault lawsuit against the billionaire actor-director last week.

The actor, identified in court documents as Mario Rodriguez, sued Perry on Thursday for sexual assault and sexual battery in connection to multiple alleged encounters from 2015 and 2019. The 23-page civil complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims that Rodriguez cut off contact with Perry in 2019 and that through 2024 the director “would randomly reach out to Mr. Rodriguez.”

Screenshots of text messages, obtained by several outlets including the Associated Press, seem to show otherwise.

Rodriguez initiated text conversations with Perry as recently as August of this year. In a statement Monday, Rodriguez said “people are pointing to messages where I was polite, grateful, or vulnerable — and trying to use that to discredit me.”

“Survivors often stay cordial. They often ask for help when they feel desperate,” he added. “That does not mean abuse didn’t happen. Those text messages were sent to Perry at a time when I was especially vulnerable as can be seen from the context.”

The Associated Press reported Monday that Rodriguez expressed gratitude to Perry in a message sent during Thanksgiving 2024. “Just know that I love you and I thank you for everything, I appreciate you to the moon,” Rodriguez said in one message, according to screenshots published Monday by TMZ.

In a separate string of texts sent Aug. 31, Rodriguez informed Perry of his ongoing health issues, adding that he did not have health insurance. “I know 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,” Rodriguez said in one message, according to TMZ.

“I just can’t go to the doctor because I can’t even afford it,” Rodriguez said in another August text message. “I don’t want anything. I just wanna be OK. Scared brother.”

Perry attorney Alex Spiro said Monday in a statement: “I said it before and I’ll say it again. This is nothing but a 77 million dollar money grab scam.”

The Rodriguez suit comes after “The Oval” actor Derek Dixon sued Perry in June, alleging quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual battery, retaliation and more. Dixon is seeking $260 million in damages.

Rodriguez alleges in his lawsuit that Perry, 56, leveraged his Hollywood stature “to abuse and sexually assault people who hope to secure roles in his movies,” echoing claims Dixon made in his June filing. Rodriguez also alleges that Perry did not rehire him for further projects because he rejected the director’s sexual advances. Rodriguez and Dixon are both represented by attorney Jonathan J. Delshad.

According to the new lawsuit, Rodriguez started out as a model before a trainer approached him at a luxury gym in 2015 and put him in contact with Perry for a potential role in “Boo! A Madea Halloween.” Before Rodriguez auditioned and secured the minor role, Perry allegedly informed him, “I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner” and touted the idea of more roles in the future.

The lawsuit alleges the mogul first sexually assaulted Rodriguez in Perry’s Los Angeles home in 2015. The two began drinking together before Perry invited the actor-model to his home theater to watch a movie, the document says. Perry, who instructed Rodriguez to leave his phone in the kitchen, allegedly asked the actor about his personal life and proceeded to hug him and compliment his appearance. He allegedly began rubbing Rodriguez’s shoulders and chest while making sexual noises, the lawsuit said. After Rodriguez attempted to distance himself, Perry allegedly continued touching the actor, “rubbing his inner thigh right next to his penis,” the complaint says.

The filmmaker’s sexual assaults persisted, the lawsuit alleges, in the years after he and Rodriguez wrapped the “Madea” film in 2016. Rodriguez returned to L.A. and stayed in contact with Perry, who invited Rodriguez to visit his home again to discuss future projects, the filing says.

“After a couple of visits, Mr. Perry then again began to make more sexual comments to Mr. Rodriguez” about his appearance, “and to ask him graphic sexual questions” including whether he had ever had sex with another man, the lawsuit says. Perry allegedly grabbed Rodriguez’s leg near his genitals again, the complaint says.

In November 2018, Rodriguez accepted another invitation from Perry to discuss a potential role in the TV series “The Oval.” They met for dinner in Beverly Hills, where Perry allegedly asked “So what are we? What are we doing?” before the director instructed Rodriguez to meet him at his Los Angeles home later that evening.

Conversations about potential collaborations took a sexual turn, the lawsuit says, when Perry asked Rodriguez whether he liked oral sex and if he had given oral sex to a man. Perry allegedly tightly hugged Rodriguez, tried to unbuckle the actor’s pants, reached into his underwear and grabbed his penis, according to the complaint. Before Rodriguez left Perry’s home in a rideshare, the filmmaker placed $5,000 in his pocket, the suit says.

Perry continued to invite Rodriguez to his Los Angeles home under the guise of work and sexually assaulted the actor over the following months, the lawsuit says. After another incident in April 2019, the suit says, Rodriguez stopped communicating with Perry.

Perry allegedly became infuriated by Rodriguez’s efforts to keep his distance and sent the actor expletive-filled texts. The lawsuit includes screenshots of the alleged exchanges, including one in which Rodriguez apologizes for not staying in touch with the director due to personal matters.

“I deserve a text at [least] once a month,” Perry texted Rodriguez, according to the lawsuit. He also asked the actor about his physical training and requested to see pictures, the complaint said.

Regarding his surfaced texts to Perry, Rodriguez added in his statement that “continued financial support and access are not inconsistent with abuse — they are often part of the power dynamics that follow it.”

He added: “The existence of financial assistance does not disprove harm. It is entirely consistent with the complex realities survivors face after abuse.”

Rodriguez also sued Perry for intentional infliction of emotional distress and sued “Boo! A Madea Halloween” distributor Lionsgate for negligent retention.