Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Addresses Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Breaks Silence On $260M Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Doubles Down Amid Mogul’s ‘Scam’ Speculation
"The Oval" actor Derek Dixon speaks out about his sexual harassment and assault accusations against Tyler Perry and why he came forward with a lawsuit.
Derek Dixon is speaking out for the first time about his $260 million lawsuit against Tyler Perry, saying he went public about the sexual assault allegations because “I couldn’t just let him get away with this.”
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Although the Ruthless actor called the ordeal “terrifying,” he claims the June filing was about defending other creatives from having to “choose between their dreams and their dignity.” He explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them.” In the first interview since coming forward, Dixon discussed the alleged harassment that he claimed escalated to a sexual assault that he reportedly thought would end in rape.
Many comments latched onto speculation about Perry’s sexuality, which Dixon shut down. While the openly gay actor’s lawsuit noted that he “did not know that Perry was interested in men or that he was looking for a sexual relationship,” Dixon emphasized that the real issues are the alleged sexual harassment and assault.
“I’m not going to speak for him on how he identifies sexually,” he said about Perry, who broke up with Gelila Bekele, the mother of their 10-year-old son, in late 2020. “Regardless of his sexual orientation or gender, he should not be speaking to any of his employees whether they be men or women, gay, straight or bisexual about their sexual preferences, how often they’re having sex and physically assaulting them.”
As BOSSIP previously reported, days after the June 13 suit was filed, Perry’s legal team denied all the allegations as a “scam.” In a statement from attorney Matthew Boyd, he called Dixon an “individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.” He continued, “Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Read how Derek Dixon claims a chance meeting with Tyler Perry allegedly escalated to harassment and assault after the flip.
Derek Dixon Alleges His Time With Tyler Perry Went From A Dream Come True To A Nightmare
In an interview with THR, Dixon described meeting the Madea mogul when he worked as an event coordinator at the opening party for Tyler Perry Studios in 2019. He said Perry correctly guessed his career aspirations as a struggling actor and exchanged contact information. The text exchange led to Dixon landing a small role in Ruthless that continued ontoThe Oval.
In early 2020, the lawsuit claims Dixon received an invite to Perry’s home where they drank enough for the Straw director to suggest that his guest sleep in the guest house rather than drive home. Dixon claimed while he slept, “[Perry] climbed into bed with me and began rubbing my thigh.”
Dixon said he immediately turned down the alleged advance, but Perry began to text him every day after that. After several ignored texts, he claimed Perry offered him the expanded role on The Oval. However, a cliffhanger that endangered his character’s life at the end of the season left Dixon’s future on the show in limbo. Dixon knew he “couldn’t piss him off” if he wanted to keep acting on the show, but dreaded Perry’s complaint in the same conversation that “nobody gives him anything.”
According to the lawsuit, Perry sent an overwhelming number of texts that were “almost always personal.” When production halted for COVID-19, the super producer suggested Dixon write a comedy pilot during the downtime and offered to shoot it himself. Between excitement for this major opportunity and lack of professional experience, the actor said he overlooked the inappropriate texts included in his complaint.
The messages submitted discuss Dixon’s “thick” physique, how his hips “twist” when he walks, whether he “liked being choked” during a scene from the show and insisting Dixon needed someone to “make love” to him.
Derek Dixon Claims The Unwanted Advances Turned To Alleged Sexual Assault Twice
Dixon said for the sake of his career, he “couldn’t say no to” drinks in Perry’s trailer. He claimed the Mea Culpacreator asked “uncomfortable questions” about Dixon’s attraction to him. The lawsuit alleges that as Dixon left, Perry pinned him to a wall and groped his buttocks. He said Perry promised to “just be professional” afterwards, but kept texting.
After ignoring the messages, Dixon said Perry complained that he “deserves attention all the time” and inquired about “guiltless sex.” Dixon said he required treatment for depression after this alleged incident. While he ignored Perry’s messages, Dixon claimed his boss suggested “punching him in the stomach” over his acting performance.
The promise of shooting a pilot convinced Dixon to discuss it at Perry’s home in June 2021, according to the lawsuit. Dixon said he felt prepared to fend off any alleged advances and agreed to stay in the guest house after drinking together.
The filing stated that when he went to hug Perry goodnight, the billionaire allegedly yanked down Dixon’s underwear, “groped [his] bare a**” and grabbed his wrists to stop him from pulling up his underwear. Dixon said he feared rape as he said, “No. Stop. I don’t want this.”
“But he wasn’t stopping. He just told me to relax and let it happen and that he wasn’t going to hurt me,” Dixon continued.
Dixon said he didn’t expect anyone could reach him at Perry’s remote, gated, and guarded estate “in the middle of nowhere.” He added, “Uber cannot drive to the guest house.” As a last resort, Dixon said he told Perry he was too hungry to do anything else sexual. After eating pizza with Perry in his living room, Dixon said he returned to the guest house, where he slept on the floor of the locked bathroom.
The lawyer Dixon first contacted days later instructed him to quit the show before filing a lawsuit, In addition to risking his career, the BET star was “too afraid to come forward. I knew it would be awful. And I was right.”
He tried to keep his distance but still get his pilot produced, which Perry did in early 2022. However, the complaint claimed Perry’s contract with Viacom prevented any attempt to sell the show for another two years. Dixon accused Perry of “trying to dangle my dreams in front of me for as long as he could to prevent me from talking,”
Dixon formally complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about sexual harassment in 2024. He quit his nearly $400,000 role to take a stand against the mistreatment of actors in the industry and the belief that “somehow I had to accept it to keep working. But eventually, I couldn’t stay silent anymore.”
Although he admitted to offers for a private settlement before the lawsuit, Dixon moved forward publicly because “they never result in the type of change necessary to protect further victims. At the end of the day my absolute fear is that he will be able to continue doing this without any major consequences.”
