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Tyler Perry Faces $260 Million Lawsuit Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
Entertainment magnate Tyler Perry is embroiled in a legal battle after being named in a substantial $260 million lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Friday. The suit alleges that Perry engaged in sexual harassment against an actor who appeared in his productions.
According to legal documents reviewed by Daily Mail, the plaintiff, actor Derek Dixon, asserts that Perry, 55, made persistent attempts to establish a sexual rapport during Dixon’s appearances on two of Perry’s shows, namely Ruthless and The Oval.
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, conveyed to People magazine that Perry “will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
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Boyd characterized Dixon as “an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.”
Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Perry seeking further comments regarding the matter.
Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry, 55, has been named in a $260 million lawsuit claiming he sexually harassed an actor. Pictured June 9 in LA at the BET Awards
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Perry posed in LA at a December 4, 2024 event
Details of the Allegations Against Tyler Perry
The legal complaint presented by Dixon’s legal team alleges that Perry initially pledged ‘career advancement and creative opportunities’ to the actor.
These promises purportedly involved commitments such as ‘producing his pilot and casting him in his show,’ as stated in the legal documents.
The lawsuit further alleges that Perry subjected Dixon “to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation when [Dixon] did not reciprocate Mr. Perry’s unwanted advances.”
Dixon’s legal filings state that he initially encountered Perry in September 2019 at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
According to the complaint, following their initial meeting at a party for one of Perry’s shows, the New Orleans-born producer commenced sending Dixon text messages containing sexually suggestive content.
Dixon alleges that Perry sought to cultivate ‘a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic’ during his time working on The Oval and Ruthless, where he portrayed the character Dale.
Dixon maintains that Perry offered him a transformative role, commencing in November 2019 with a part in the series Ruthless.
The legal complaint further asserts that in January 2020, Dixon was sexually assaulted by Perry at the entertainment mogul’s residence.
Actor Derek Dixon said that he initially crossed paths with the 55-year-old entertainment mogul in September of 2019
Dixon said in the legal complaint that Perry looked to establish ‘a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic’ between them when he worked on the sets of Perry’s shows
Recurrent Role and Alleged Retaliation
Dixon testified that Perry extended an offer for a recurring role on The Oval in February 2020.
Dixon claims that Perry wielded his extensive influence by concluding the first season of The Oval with his character, Dale, facing an uncertain destiny.
According to the actor’s legal complaint, “Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendos, Dixon’s character would ‘die’ in the next season.”
The suit states that Perry subjected Dixon to “escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry’s unwanted advances.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.