CBS Studios has filed a motion in Los Angeles Superior Court under the anti-SLAPP statute to strike a lawsuit filed earlier this summer by former  Matlock  writer John Lowe. The CBS Studios filing included multiple declarations disputing his allegations against three of the show's executive producers.

Lowe's suit against CBS Studios, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and executive producers Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber alleged that  racially stereotyped comments about his body and genitalia  were made toward him and other Black cast and crew members, creating a  hostile work environment. 

In its filing, the studio threw its full support behind Urman, Renna and Lieber, while countering many of Lowe's allegations. Lowe's attorney Ron Zambrano told Variety that they had not yet been served the motion yet, so he couldn't comment on the specifics, while writing,  But I am confident we will successfully oppose the motion as the complaint was drafted with that possibility in mind. 

Popular on Variety

 We take allegations of discrimination and harassment very seriously,  a CBS Studios spokesperson said.  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 and maliciously fabricated, and will not allow them to go unchallenged.

 False allegations are deeply damaging, both to those wrongly accused, and to anyone with a serious and legitimate claim of discrimination,  the spokesperson added.  We stand firmly behind our producers and look forward to the truth coming to light. 

In his lawsuit, Lowe - who worked on  Matlock  from October 2023 to July 2024 (as CBS Studios noted, not in 2025, as Lowe's complaint stated) - claimed he was terminated from his position as a form of retaliation, as it came two weeks after reporting an alleged incident in which Urman referred to Juneteenth as  Coonteenth. 

In declarations, Urman, Renna, Lieber and other witnesses disputed

#variety  #podcastdailynews