David Bridges
At a glance
- Incident: Derek Dixon has filed a lawsuit against Tyler Perry alleging sexual harassment and abuse.
- Response: Perry’s lawyer denied the allegations, claiming the lawsuit is a “scam.”
- Claims: Dixon alleges that Perry threatened to fire him from his role in The Oval if he did not comply with sexual demands.
- Damages: Dixon is seeking $260 million in damages from this lawsuit.
Tyler Perry was slapped with a lawsuit by an actor named Derek Dixon, who accused the film multi-hyphenate of sexual harassment and abuse. Since the lawsuit directly mentions Dixon by name, many want to learn more about the actor from Perry’s series The Oval.
In response to the suit, Perry’s lawyer denied the allegations. Per the BBC, the attorney accused Dixon of creating a “scam” case to earn money.
“This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,” attorney Matthew Boyd told the BBC. “But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Meanwhile, for his part, Dixon’s lawsuit claims that Perry blackmailed him by threatening to fire him from The Oval if he didn’t submit to sexual favors.
Below, learn about Dixon and his lawsuit against Perry.
Derek Dixon Is a Writer & Actor
According to Dixon’s IMDb profile, he is a writer and an actor. His most prominent acting credits were in more than 80 episodes of The Oval, playing the role of Dale, and Ruthless. He is also set to star in Joy Ridge, which is currently in production.
Dixon worked as a writer for the TV series Losing It.
Why Is Dixon Suing Tyler Perry?
Dixon filed a lawsuit against Perry for sexual harassment and abuse. The lawsuit claims that the Straw filmmaker promised he’d help his acting career successful, but subjected Dixon to “escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation” because he didn’t return Perry’s “unwanted advances.”
“Mr Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendos, Dixon’s character [in The Oval] would ‘die’ in the next season,” the lawsuit claims. The case further alleges that Perry “always held this over Mr Dixon’s head, implying that [his character] ‘Dale’ would survive if Dixon kept Perry ‘happy.’”
Dixon is seeking $260 million in damages from the lawsuit. Perry has denied all of Dixon’s claims, and his attorney called the lawsuit a “scam.”
Tyler Perry’s Net Worth
Since Perry has been making movies for two decades, he has racked up a sizable net worth. His fortune stands at more than $1 billion, according to Forbes.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
Cameron Steel
