Leah Lewis is leaning on family.
After the Matlock actress’ costar David Del Rio was removed from the Kathy Bates-led CBS series amid sexual assault allegations, per multiple outlets, Leah—who plays lawyer Sarah Franklin on the series—shared an update with fans.
“Mom is here,” she wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story Oct. 9, as seen in a screenshot shared by Deadline. “We’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care.”
Alongside the photo that showed her hugging her mom, Lorraine Lewis, Leah continued, “Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please let that be the takeaway.”
Following the 28-year-old’s message, David’s wife Katherine Del Rio reacted to the controversy, calling out Leah.
In a screenshot posted by Us Weekly of Katherine’s since-expired Instagram Story, she shared a zoomed in picture of Leah and wrote, “This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met.”
Katherine—who shares kids Lilia, 2, and Coco, 7 months, with David—also seemingly imitated Leah’s post, calling the Nancy Drew actress out by name in a since-deleted Instagram Story.
Alongside a photo of Katherine and her mom, as seen in a screenshot shared by Deadline, Katherine wrote, “Mom is here. We are moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you all for the love and support!”
E! News previously reached out to CBS and reps for David—who played associate Billy Martinez on Matlock—regarding his exit as well as reps for Leah and Katherine but did not hear back. CBS confirmed David’s departure to multiple outlets but did not elaborate further.
Despite David’s dismissal—which Deadline reports occurred following an internal investigation—filming continued on Matlock’s season two before going on a pre-planned hiatus in mid-October. Filming is scheduled to pick up again following Thanksgiving.
Earlier this year, Leah reflected on the reception to Matlock’s first season, which premiered in Sept. 2024.
“The last couple days of press have been so cool just sharing the little details and all the joy we’ve put into making this show,” she wrote in her May 9 Instagram post. “Meeting people after panels that have welcome us into their hearts or keyed into these details has also been such a unifying feeling.”
Leah continued, “This Matlock family, from the creative team to the cast to the audience, is a wonderfully connected place to be.”