CBS‘ Matlock is going to court for real with a lawsuit from a former writer on the Kathy Bates-led series who claims he was axed after raising concerns about alleged racist and sexual comments made by showrunner Jennie Synder Urman.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking unspecified damages (read it here), industry vet John Lowe says Urman and producers on the revived crime classic allowed “sexually explicit and discriminatory conduct” to fester. Citing late-night calls from Urman in her underwear, a perception of indentured servitude and references to the Juneteenth holiday as “Coonteenth” by the EP, Lowe states he was fired suddenly in July 2025.
Based on the proximity to this year’s Juneteenth, the allegedly deeply offensive remarks about the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in America resonate greatly.
Casting department alum Lowe originally had been hired on Matlock back in October 2023 as an executive story editor. In the suit — which names CBS TV Studios, Matlock EPs Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber as defendants, along with Urman — Lowe says he was pressured to take a dog of the showrunner’s with the implication that his job depended on it.
The suit reads: “On or about June 19, 2025, when Plaintiff asked whether Defendants would observe the Juneteenth holiday, Snyder responded by calling the day ‘Coonteenth,’ utilizing the racist slur ‘Coon’ (which has roots to the antebellum South to refer to Black people as lazy, loud and/or deceitful) to demean and minimize a holiday that specifically commemorates the announcement of the end of slavery in 1865. This absolutely shocked Plaintiff and those colleagues within earshot.”
Along with claims of attacks on him personally while working at Matlock, Lowe says EP Renna took verbal swings at other staffers on the show, including cast members.
“In addition, and while no casting review, performance evaluation, script discussion or production decision was underway, Renna made a racially and sexually derogatory comment about Black cast member Eme Ikwuakor (an African American), stating ‘Eme can barely read’ and ‘Eme’s [big black cock] saves him,'” says the three-claim, 11-page lawsuit. “This comment was not made in connection with any legitimate casting, creative, or production function; it was a gratuitous racial epithet that demeaned Ikwuakor based on his race and that Plaintiff, of the same race, witnessed and found deeply offensive.”
After Lowe’s exit from Matlock, CBS conducted a probe into his concerns, I’ve learned. The results of that internal investigation are not known, but Lowe clearly was not pleased with how it went.
CBS issued a statement today, saying: “We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously. In this instance, a thorough investigation was completed, and we were unable to find support for his allegations. We look forward to vigorously defending this lawsuit.”
A big hit for CBS since it launched in September 2024, this new version of the 1986-95 legal drama that starred Andy Griffith has found itself embroiled in controversy before. Series regular David Del Rio exited the show abruptly in October following an investigation into a sexual assault allegation. Sources told Deadline at the time that the alleged incident occurred September 26 in a trailer and involved fellow Matlock series regular Leah Lewis.
A report of the incident triggered immediate action by the series’ producers and an internal investigation by CBS Studio, resulting in Del Rio being fired and escorted off the Paramount lot the same day the alleged assault was reported.
Erik Pedersen and Denise Petski contributed to this report.
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