Former Matlock writer John Lowe has officially filed a lawsuit against CBS Television Studios and the hit legal TV show’s production heads. This comes nearly five months after Matlock was renewed for a third season.
Why is a Matlock writer suing CBS?
Per THR, Lowe is suing CBS Television Studios, Matlock showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, and executive producers Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber over alleged sexual and racist comments directed at him and other Black cast and crew members. According to Lowe, the writers’ room was a “vicious” place for a Black creative, describing the situation as either being “treated like a threat or a pet.”
“We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously,” a CBS Studios spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”
Lowe’s lawsuit against the studio, Urman, Renna, and Lieber, seeks “unspecified damages and brings claims for hostile work environment and failure to prevent harassment.” The sexual and racist comments allegedly started when he joined the Matlock team as an executive story editor in October 2023. He reportedly received several inappropriate comments about his genitals and sex life. The lawsuit also unveiled an incident when Urman supposedly forced Lowed to keep her dog for a year, describing her demand as “racially motivated harassment and an exercise of supervisory power designed to burden him.” Last July 2025, his employment was terminated after he reported an incident in which a Urman allegedly disrespected Juneteenth by calling the annual holiday “C**nteenth.”
“There is no excuse for this blatant racism and harassment,” Lowe’s lawyer Ron Zambrano said. “CBS should be ashamed for allowing it, and the Matlock showrunner and producers should be held accountable.”
Matlock is created and executive-produced by Urman. The reboot follows Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a brilliant septuagenarian, who, after achieving success in her younger years, decides to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm. The cast also includes Skye P. Marshall as Olympia, Jason Ritter as Julian, and Leah Lewis as Sarah. It currently has an average Tomatometer rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
(Source: THR)
