Actor Derek Dixon accuses Tyler Perry of leveraging his industry influence to create a "coercive, sexually exploitative.
(The Post News)- Tyler Perry, a prominent figure in U.S. film and television, is being sued for $260 million by an actor who claims he was sexually assaulted while working on the producer’s TV shows.
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, actor Derek Dixon accuses Tyler Perry of leveraging his industry influence to create a “coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” while Dixon worked on The Oval and Ruthless.
A lawyer representing Perry has rejected the claims, calling the lawsuit a “scam” aimed at making money.
Tyler Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, told the BBC that the individual allegedly got close to Perry with the apparent intent of orchestrating a scam. Boyd added that Perry “will not be shaken down” and expressed confidence that the “fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Dixon stated that he first met Perry in 2019 at a work event held by Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, and they discussed an acting career over the following months. According to the lawsuit, Perry is also accused of making multiple sexual comments and expressing interest in a sexual relationship, along with making several advances toward Dixon, which he declined.
Perry reportedly offered Dixon roles on his shows Ruthless and later The Oval. However, the lawsuit alleges that “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 complaint further claims that Perry “always held this over Mr. Dixon’s head, implying that [his character] ‘Dale’ would survive if Dixon kept Perry ‘happy’.”
The lawsuit details multiple incidents in which Perry is accused of sexually assaulting Dixon. According to the actor, Perry questioned him about his sexual preferences inside a trailer on the set of The Oval, then pinned him against a wall and fondled him. Dixon said he rejected the advance and left the trailer.
To put an end to the ongoing harassment, Dixon chose to leave his role on The Oval and also turned down an offer from Perry to work as a writer.
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