Entertainment
Actor sues Tyler Perry for $260m, alleges sexual harassment, assault
Actor and writer Derek Dixon has filed a $260 million lawsuit against filmmaker and media mogul Tyler Perry, accusing him of sexual harassment, groping, and emotional abuse. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and includes 46 pages of claims covering events from 2019 to 2021.
Dixon says the harassment began shortly after he was cast in The Oval and Ruthless, shows produced by Perry. According to the lawsuit, Perry allegedly sent him explicit text messages, made unwanted sexual advances, and groped him on more than one occasion. One of the most serious claims involves an incident at Perry’s Georgia home, where Dixon says he was invited under friendly pretenses, served drinks, and later groped by Perry in a guest room without his consent.
“Mr. Perry sought the one thing his wealth and influence could not purchase, a sexual relationship with a man who would remain silent,” the lawsuit reads.
Dixon also alleges that Perry used promises of career opportunities as a way to manipulate and control him. He claims Perry’s team praised his work and said he could develop his original script titled Losing It. But Dixon now says those offers were made only to keep him from speaking out.
“They used my dream against me,” he said in a recent statement.
The actor also accuses Perry of treating him like an “on call pet” and says his character on The Oval was written off when he began to resist further advances. He says he lost $400,000 in income when he walked away from the show due to stress and discomfort.
In addition to Perry, the lawsuit names Tyler Perry Studios, BET, and Paramount Global as defendants, claiming they created a work environment where abuse was allowed and hidden.
Perry’s legal team has strongly denied all accusations. His lawyer, Matthew Boyd, called the lawsuit a “complete scam”, claiming that Dixon is making false allegations in hopes of getting a payout. They argue that Dixon sought fame and opportunity by getting close to Perry, and that no abuse ever occurred.
The lawsuit compares Perry’s actions to those of other powerful men in the entertainment industry who were later exposed for sexual misconduct, suggesting a larger pattern of manipulation and fear used to silence victims.
Dixon says he filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before going public with the lawsuit. The outcome of that complaint is not yet known, but the case is now gaining national attention and may go to a jury trial.