The image of Tyler Perry, once revered, now faces serious scrutiny as this lawsuit unfolds. Perry’s legal team is vigorously contesting the suit, labeling it as baseless and financially motivated. In a statement to TMZ, Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, stated, “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 that these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
The lawsuit was filed on June 13 by actor Derek Dixon, known for his role as Dale in Perry’s political drama, *The Oval*. Dixon accuses Perry of “a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation.” He is suing the media mogul for alleged quid pro quo harassment, a hostile work environment, and sexual assault and battery.
According to court documents, Dixon and Perry first crossed paths in 2019 during the grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios, where Dixon worked as part of an event planning team. Dixon claims that his role required frequent interactions with Perry, who allegedly asked for his phone number and inquired about his career ambitions at the end of the evening.
Soon after, Perry reportedly cast Dixon in a minor role on his BET+ series, *Ruthless*. However, the lawsuit claims that communications soon became “strange and untowardly,” with Perry allegedly sending inappropriate messages.
The complaint outlines a troubling timeline beginning with a January 2020 visit to Perry’s Georgia home, where Dixon says they shared drinks and conversation. When offered a guest room for the night, he accepted. Dixon alleges that it was during this visit that Perry entered the room and sexually assaulted him.
After the incident, Dixon claims he attempted to distance himself by ignoring calls and texts from Perry, but the outreach allegedly became more persistent. Perry reportedly offered him a recurring role in *The Oval*, and out of fear of retaliation, Dixon says he endured Perry’s alleged sexual advances to keep his job. The lawsuit states, “Dixon immediately understood that his job security depended on his ‘relationship’ with Perry.”
Tensions escalated after an episode in which Dixon’s character was shot multiple times, suggesting a possible end to his storyline. Following this, Perry allegedly invited Dixon to his trailer for drinks, where he reportedly made unwanted sexual advances and assaulted him again. The complaint states that immediately after leaving the trailer following Perry’s violent assault, Dixon became severely nauseous and extremely anxious about his job, career, and livelihood.
Another distressing encounter is alleged to have occurred on Perry’s private island in the Bahamas during a cast party. By late 2020, Dixon claims he was suffering from emotional and physical exhaustion due to Perry’s “continued pattern of sexual harassment.” As this behavior persisted into early 2021, Dixon says he was prescribed antidepressants to cope with the stress.
In June 2021, he was invited to another meeting at Perry’s home to discuss a pilot Dixon had written, titled *Losing It*, where he alleges he was assaulted once again. In an effort to regain peace and distance, Dixon moved to Santa Monica in early 2023. However, he claims the manipulation continued, with Perry repeatedly promising to produce Dixon’s show—offers he describes as mere tactics “to prevent Dixon from exposing the dark side of Tyler Perry.”
Dixon has largely remained silent publicly. “At this point, Mr. Dixon has no comment. We believe the complaint speaks for itself,” his attorneys told ABC.
While Tyler Perry has not personally addressed the allegations in detail, his team is signaling a clear intention to fight back. Boyd reiterated, “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.”
As the case develops, both legal teams are likely preparing for a lengthy legal battle, one that could have serious implications for one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures.