When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The producers of CBS's Matlock are pushing back on the latest controversy surrounding the show after responding to a lawsuit brought by a former writer. The writer, John Lowe, filed a discrimination lawsuit earlier this summer against three producers of the show. Now CBS has filed a motion to dismiss the case, calling it "baseless," among other reasons. It's the latest in the saga surrounding Matlock, which is actually being preempted on the fall 2026 TV schedule, and will kick off its third season early next year.
According to a report in Variety, CBS is backing three producers, Nicki Renna, Jeffrey Lieber, and showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, who are named in the suit. Lowe brought the suit in June, claiming he was fired in July 2025 as retaliation for what his suit says were a series of discriminatory comments about him and other Black members of the cast and crew. This included, according to the lawsuit, the producers making "racially stereotyped comments about his body and genitalia," which contributed to a hostile work environment.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for CBS told Variety:
Today, with the filing of our motion to strike, we took our first step toward challenging the baseless complaint filed by former 'Matlock' writer John Lowe. As stated in the motion and following a thorough investigation, we are confident that Lowe's accusations are demonstrably inaccurate...
In a 2017 piece in The New York Times, voting expert Ari Berman wrote, “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed tactics that prevented blacks, Hispanics and other minority groups from voting. But fo...