Former ‘Matlock’ Writer Files Bombshell Lawsuit Against Showrunner Alleging Racial Slurs and Sexual Harassment
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, CBS’s hit legal drama Matlock is heading to a real-life courtroom. John Lowe, a veteran writer on the Kathy Bates-led series, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming he was abruptly fired after protesting discriminatory behavior and racial slurs by the showrunner, Jennie Snyder Urman.
The 11-page complaint alleges that the show’s producers allowed an unethical and discriminatory workplace environment to fester. One of the most shocking allegations involves the showrunner’s reaction to Juneteenth (the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States). The plaintiff claims that in June of last year, when he inquired about taking the day off for the holiday, Urman mocked the national holiday using an explicitly derogatory racial slur against Black people, leaving him and other colleagues present on set deeply shocked. Furthermore, other sections of the lawsuit level allegations of sexual harassment against another female producer on the show, as well as demeaning behavior by producer Nikki Renna directed at Emmy Ikwuakor, a Black actor on the series.
In response to the lawsuit, CBS Studios issued an official statement:
“We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously. In this matter, a comprehensive and thorough internal investigation was conducted, but no evidence was found to support the writer’s claims. We will vigorously defend ourselves in court.”
This is not the first time this reimagining of the classic Matlock series (which originally aired from 1986 to 1995) has faced controversy. Previously, series regular David Del Rio was promptly fired and banned from the studio by producers following an internal investigation into allegations of sexually harassing a co-star on set.
