U.S. television mogul Tyler Perry is facing a $260 million lawsuit from actor Derek Dixon, who alleges that Perry used his influence in the entertainment industry to repeatedly sexually harass and assault him while silencing him with professional opportunities.
Dixon, who appeared in 85 episodes of the BET series The Oval, filed the suit on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The filing was first reported Tuesday by TMZ.
“Mr. Perry took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr. Dixon — initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation,” the lawsuit states.
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, has denied the allegations, describing the lawsuit as a shakedown attempt.
“This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,” Boyd said in a statement Tuesday.
“But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated harassment claims will fail.”
According to the suit, Perry first noticed Dixon in 2019 while Dixon was working event staff at one of Perry’s parties.
The actor was later offered an audition, eventually landing a role on Perry’s show Ruthless, before being cast in The Oval in a more prominent capacity.
The lawsuit alleges that Perry began sending unsolicited sexual messages to Dixon, with screenshots included as evidence.
One message allegedly read: “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?”
As Perry’s alleged sexual advances intensified, Dixon claims he was offered larger roles on the show.
The lawsuit states: “Dixon did his best to tiptoe around Mr. Perry’s sexual aggression while keeping on Mr. Perry’s good side. Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendoes, Dixon’s character would ‘die.’”
Dixon accuses Perry of multiple incidents of sexual assault, including one where the media mogul “forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon’s clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself on Dixon.” Dixon reportedly told Perry, “No,” and was eventually able to de-escalate the encounter.
The next day, Perry allegedly apologized and offered to collaborate on a TV pilot Dixon was developing, titled Losing It. Dixon says he was later given a raise, which the lawsuit suggests was part of an effort to keep him silent.
Although Perry acquired the rights to the pilot, the lawsuit claims he never intended to produce or sell it, instead using it as leverage over Dixon.
Another alleged assault described in the complaint took place at Perry’s home, where Dixon says the producer entered his guest room, got into bed with him uninvited, and began groping him.
Dixon eventually relocated from Atlanta, where Perry’s studios are based, to Los Angeles to distance himself. After filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2024 and seeing no action taken by producers, he resigned from the show.
The Oval is one of several series written, directed, and executive-produced by Perry, 55, who rose to fame with the Madea film series and has built a substantial presence in film and television. Perry has also acted in movies including Gone Girl and Don’t Look Up.
Vanguard News
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