Matlock teased a surprise paternity story line for Billy in season 2 before David Del Rio was fired for allegedly sexually assaulting his costar Leah Lewis.
The hit CBS series, which premiered in September 2024, follows a wealthy retired lawyer named Madeline Kingston (Kathy Bates) who pretends to be a poor widower named Matty Matlock to get a job at Jacobson Moore law firm. As it turns out, Matty thinks someone at the company is complicit in the opioid epidemic that resulted in her daughter’s death.
The season 1 finale ended with Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) confronting Julian (Jason Ritter) about the Wellbrexa documents. He begged Olympia not to expose him — not knowing she actually found the documents because of Matty’s mission at Jacobson Moore. Then there was Billy (Del Rio), who found out he was going to be a father, and Sarah (Lewis), who was celebrating a big professional win.
Shortly before the season 2 premiere on Sunday, October 12, news broke that Del Rio was fired following an investigation into sexual assault accusations.
David Del Rio, Leah Lewis’ Quotes About Each Other Before ‘Matlock’ Scandal
An alleged incident involving Del Rio and Lewis took place in late September, which was reported by the actress to CBS days later. Del Rio was “fired and escorted off the lot the same day the alleged assault was reported,” according to Deadline. Billy is expected to be written off in the second half of the season.
Del Rio has yet to address his firing, but Lewis broke her silence via social media on Thursday, October 9.
“Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the take away.”
Keep scrolling for details on what Matlock had planned for Billy before the actor’s abrupt departure:
Addressing the Big Issue
After the season 1 finale aired in April, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman discussed whether Claudia’s pregnancy meant Billy would go back to pleasing other people over himself, telling Us Weekly exclusively, “You’re asking the questions that we ask in the writers’ room. But I can’t give it away because it’s all in the season 2 premiere.”
Which ‘Matlock’ Stars Are — And Aren’t — Returning for Season 2?
Expanding His Point of View
Del Rio spoke to Us in May about committing to the paternity twist. “I’m really excited to see how Billy handles the work balance with the personal balance of it all,” he noted.
Lewis also weighed in on what was awaiting Sarah in season 2 during the joint interview.
“I remember reading the finale and hoping at the end that Sarah was going to get away scot free with this wonderful victory. Of course the thing happens with Simone and she might need to take accountability,” Lewis hinted. “To be honest, this is where we really get to see if Sarah can step up to the plate for the thing that she has been begging for, asking for and working so hard for. You want to get treated like a big dog. We’ll start acting like a big dog. I feel like this season we’ll definitely probably get to see her mature a bit more on that aspect. Her professional win is not over yet.”
Pulling From His Life
Del Rio, who shares two kids with wife Katherine Del Rio, opened up in June about connecting to Billy’s arc.
“This will be the first character I’ve ever played that has to deal with fatherhood,” he told TVLine. “And to be in an environment such as the law game is going to be a real nice ‘two thunderstorms colliding.’ As an actor, you want your circumstances to be delicious.”
