Actor Derek Dixon sued Tyler Perry for $260 million, citing allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation. A lawsuit was filed on Friday, June 13, in an LA court, which names Perry, his production companies TPS Production Services and And Action LLC, and 50 other anonymous defendants.
Dixon alleges that Perry established a coercive and sexually exploitative dynamic during his time on Tyler Perry’s shows, The Oval and Ruthless. Perry promised Dixon career growth and creative opportunities but then subjected him to increasing sexual harassment, assault, battery, and workplace retaliation when Dixon did not respond to his advances.
Dixon met the New Orleans native in September 2019 during an opening party hosted by Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. The two exchanged text messages, sometimes with the ‘Why Did I Get Married’ writer, director, and actor making suggestive advances while also expressing his wish to assist Dixon in finding a job in the entertainment industry.
In November 2019, Dixon mentioned that Perry had offered him a minor role on Ruthless. Perry offered Dixon a regular role on The Oval, but Dixon believed that his character’s demise in the finale was a result of his failure to respond to Perry’s sexual innuendos.
Dixon’s character, Dale, was shot four times in the chest at the end of his first season on The Oval. Dixon alleged that Perry would bring the demise of his character to his face, suggesting that “Dale” would have survived if he had kept Perry “happy.”
Dixon recounted additional instances of sexual assault subsequent to his character’s shooting scene and during a cast trip. Dixon alleged that following the filming of a scene where his character was shot, Perry allegedly invited him to his trailer, where he pinned Dixon against the wall and began to “aggressively grope Dixon’s buttocks in a sexual motion.” The actor also reported experiencing groping during a cast trip to the Bahamas in October 2020.
In December 2020, Dixon received a prescription for Zoloft following severe symptoms of acute stress, insomnia, stomach problems, and critically low cortisol levels resulting from sexual harassment and assault, as reported by PEOPLE.
Dixon alleged that he was sexually harassed again by Perry in June 2021 after the film mogul invited him to his home to discuss Dixon’s pilot for the show Losing It, which the Madea actor intended to produce. Dixon received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe depression, and anxiety after the incidents.
The actor ended up moving to California in 2023 to distance himself from Perry.
Tyler Perry refuted the allegations, issuing a statement via his attorney, Matthew Boyd.
Perry attorney stated that Dixonseemed to develop a close relationship with Perry, claiming his intentions were merely to orchestrate a scam.
Perry’s attorney stated, “Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail,” as reported by PEOPLE.
