Tyler Perry is pushing back against his male sexual assault accuser, Mario Rodriguez, alleging the man is trying to force a settlement through legal maneuvering.
In new court documents obtained by TMZ, Perry's legal team argues that Rodriguez's motion to sanction him for missing a deposition is a pressure tactic.
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Rodriguez had asked the court to sanction Perry for failing to appear at a deposition, where he planned to question Perry about his sexual orientation.
Perry claims he already agreed to sit for the deposition and accuses Rodriguez of holding a "backwards belief" that he should be embarrassed to answer such questions.
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Perry states that after he turned down a multi-million dollar settlement proposal from Rodriguez, the accuser filed the motion to harm his reputation.
The director asserts that Rodriguez's actions are an attempt to bully him into settling the case.
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In his filing, Perry argues that questions about his sexual orientation are irrelevant to the case.
He claims Rodriguez's theory implies a man attracted to men is more likely to assault another man, which Perry calls a "bigoted stereotype."
Perry is not only opposing the motion but also asking the court to sanction Rodriguez for abusing the discovery process, seeking $7,300 in sanctions.
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Rodriguez originally sued Perry for $77 million, alleging sexual assault.
He claims they met at a gym in 2015, and Perry gave him a role in a film.
Over time, Rodriguez says Perry invited him home and assaulted him, including an incident where Perry touched his genitals and later apologized, paying him $5,000.
Perry denies all allegations.
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His team notes that Rodriguez continued communicating with Perry for years after the alleged assault, and only filed the lawsuit after Perry refused further financial assistance.
