The lawsuit alleges that racially charged comments were made about the bodies of Black cast and crew members, including Lowe himself.
John Lowe, a former managing editor of the Story Editor CBS legal drama Matlockfiled a lawsuit in California court on Wednesday CBS Television Studiosshowrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and executive producers Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber, allege a hostile work environment permeated by racist and sexually explicit behavior.
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The lawsuit alleges that racially charged comments were made about the bodies of Black cast and crew members, including Lowe himself.
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Lowe continued working Matlock between October 2023 until his July 2025 firing, which he claims in his lawsuit was retaliatory, less than two weeks after he reported Urman for calling Juneteenth “C-teenth.”
“C–n” is a racial slur with roots in the antebellum South, historically used to describe black people as lazy, loud or deceitful, the lawsuit said.
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CBS responds to the accusations
CBS has since responded, saying an internal investigation did not substantiate the claims.
In a statement said Term, CBS Studios said, “We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously. In this case, a thorough investigation was completed and we were unable to find any support for his allegations. We look forward to vigorously defending this lawsuit.”
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The suit also highlights Nicki Renna’s comments, especially towards Black cast member Eme Ikwuakor.
According to TermRenna allegedly said Ikwuakor “can barely read” and called him late at night to say she was “in bed wearing only her underwear.” Furthermore, the lawsuit also states that Renna made sexually derogatory comments about Ikwuakor, such as “Eme’s (big black c**k) saves him.”
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“This comment was not made in connection with any legitimate casting, creative or production position; it was an unnecessary racial epithet that demeaned Ikwuakor based on his race and which the plaintiff, of the same race, witnessed and found deeply offensive,” said the report, which cited the three-claim, 11-page lawsuit.
It also says Lowe witnessed such comments and found them offensive.
Not the first scandal
The lawsuit is not the first controversy to hit the production.
Actor David Del Rio was fired in October 2025 following allegations of sexual assault, which stemmed from an alleged incident in her trailer on September 26, 2025.
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According to Termthe allegation reportedly involved co-worker Matlock cast member Leah Lewis.
He has since filed an arbitration claim against CBS Studios, accusing the network of making false and misleading allegations that caused him professional and reputational harm.
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