Matlock’s Leah Lewis Breaks Silence After Costar David Del Rio Fired for Alleged Sexual Assault By Charna Flam

Leah Lewis is breaking her silence about the allegations that her Matlock costar David Del Rio sexually assaulted her.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, PEOPLE confirmed that Del Rio, 38, departed the CBS series after he allegedly sexually assaulted Lewis in late September. Del Rio was removed from the set on the Paramount lot on Oct. 2, the same day the report was made, according to Deadline.

PEOPLE learned that an investigation was immediately conducted after an incident was raised involving Del Rio, and the network has since parted ways with the actor.

Lewis, 28, posted to her Instagram Stories hours after the news broke. She added a photo of her and her mother hugging each other. 

“Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands,” she wrote atop the photo. 

“Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength,” she wrote. “Please, let that be the takeaway.”

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Del Rio played Billy Martinez and Lewis starred as Sarah Franklin in Matlock’s debut season last year. The CBS series is a gender-swap reboot of the classic 1980s legal drama of the same name.

CBS declined to comment when PEOPLE previously reached out.

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Del Rio and Lewis were frequently on screen together in the series, both playing up-and-coming young lawyers working alongside Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Kathy Bates) and their boss, Skye P. Marshall’s Olympia Lawrence.

Del Rio’s character will be written out of the show.

Following the incident, production has resumed on season 2 of Matlock, which is set to begin airing on Oct. 12 but will go on a pre-planned hiatus next week until Thanksgiving.