Producer Tyler Perry accused of sexual harassment

19/6/2025 6:12

An actor on the U.S. BET television

show "The Oval" has filed a civil lawsuit that accuses media

mogul Tyler Perry of repeated sexual assault and harassment.



Derek Dixon is seeking $260 million in punitive damages from

Perry in a lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court

and reported by TMZ on Tuesday.



In the suit, Dixon accuses Perry of "a sustained pattern of

workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation."



An attorney for Perry called the lawsuit "a scam."



"This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what

now appears to be nothing more than a scam," attorney Matthew

Boyd said in a statement. "But Tyler Perry will not be shaken

down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment

will fail."



Perry is a successful actor, writer and producer of dozens

of TV shows and films, including the "Madea" movie series.

Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.4 billion.



The lawsuit claims Perry met Dixon when he was working on

the event staff at a party Perry was hosting, and that Perry

offered him a role on the series "Ruthless" in 2019 and a bigger

part later on "The Oval."



Dixon alleges that Perry sent unwanted, sexually suggestive

text messages to him. The suit includes screenshots of what it

said were exchanges between the two.



"What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?"

said one of the messages that Dixon said was from Perry.



After the messages, Perry's behavior escalated to sexual

assault, the lawsuit said.



One night at Perry's home, the lawsuit said, Perry told

Dixon he was too drunk to drive and urged him to stay in a guest

room. Dixon said he woke up in the middle of the night to find

Perry in bed with him and rubbing his thigh.



In another case, Perry "forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon’s

clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself on

Dixon," the lawsuit said.



Dixon tried to remain friendly with Perry while rebuffing

his advances in order to keep his job, the lawsuit said. Perry

made it clear to Dixon that his TV character could be killed off

if he ignored Perry or did not take part in his "sexual

innuendos," the lawsuit said.