Tyler Perry is being sued for $260 million over sexual assault claims, which he has denied.
A lawsuit was filed against the actor and filmmaker on Friday, June 13, by Derek Dixon, who plays the character, Dale, in Perry’s show, The Oval.
In the complaint, Dixon alleges “a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation perpetrated by Tyler Perry” and is suing the filmmaker for alleged quid pro quo sexual harassment, work environment harassment and more.
The lawsuit alleges Perry promised Dixon “career advancement and creative opportunities,” only to “subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry’s unwanted advances.”
According to the lawsuit, Dixon and Perry met in 2019 while Dixon worked for an event company that was hired to plan the opening party for Tyler Perry Studios. Dixon claims he was assigned a role at the party that “required frequent conversation with Tyler Perry.” According to the lawsuit, the Madea filmmaker and Dixon exchanged phone numbers at the end of the party and Perry began asking the then-aspiring actor about his goals.
The lawsuit states that Perry cast Dixon in his show, Ruthless, and began sending Dixon “strange and untowardly” messages.
In January 2020, the lawsuit alleges Perry invited Dixon to his home in Douglasville County, Georgia, where they drank alcoholic drinks and had “friendly” conversation.
The lawsuit continues that at the end of the night, Perry told Dixon not to drive home and offered Dixon the guest room in his home. The lawsuit alleges Perry assaulted Dixon that night.
According to the lawsuit, following the assault, Dixon tried to ignore Perry’s calls or texts, which became more aggressive “until finally Perry offered Dixon a part in a new show called The Oval.” According to the lawsuit, Dixon “put up” with Perry’s comments due to fear over his role in the show being cut.
“Dixon immediately understood that his job security depended on his ‘relationship’ with Perry,” the lawsuit states. “From this point on, Dixon worked with the constant fear of losing his job if he did not engage with and endure Perry’s sexual harassment.”
Things allegedly escalated between Dixon and Perry after they filmed the episode where Dixon’s character was shot four times, “indicating a seeming end to his role on the show and his termination from the job.”
Perry had invited Dixon to his trailer for drinks. The lawsuit states that after he asked Dixon if he was attracted to him and other inappropriate questions, Perry allegedly assaulted Dixon when he was about to leave the trailer.
“As soon as Derek Dixon left the trailer following Perry’s violent assault, Dixon became severely nauseous and extremely anxious about his job, careers and livelihood,” the lawsuit states.
Another incident took place on Perry’s private island in the Bahamas, where the cast was having a party, the lawsuit alleges.
By December 2020, Dixon began “feeling depleted” due to Perry’s “continued pattern of sexual harassment,” according to the lawsuit. “The assaults and harassment began manifesting in his physical health and Mr. Dixon had no one to turn to.”
The complaint alleges that as the sexual harassment continued through the beginning of 2021, Dixon was prescribed an antidepressant for the stress he began experiencing.
In June 2021, Dixon claimed he was invited by Perry to his house again to discuss the pilot for Dixon’s show, Losing It. At the meeting, Dixon alleges he was sexually assaulted again.
Dixon decided to move to Santa Monica, California, in or around January 2023, allegedly “to put some distance between himself and Perry.” But the lawsuit states that the “quid pro quo harassment and attempts to cover up the sexual assault by promising a show continued.” After dangling the promise of producing Dixon’s show multiple times, Dixon realized in 2024 that Perry was doing so in an effort to prevent Dixon “from exposing the dark side of Tyler Perry,” the suit claims.
When reached for comment, attorneys for Dixon told ABC, “At this point Mr. Dixon has no comment. We believe the complaint speaks for itself.”
In response to the lawsuit, Matthew Boyd, an attorney for Perry and TPS Production Services, LLC, said, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam. But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Good Morning America has reached out to BET for comment.
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