Tyler Perry has been accused of sexual assault by one of the actors from his show “The Oval.”
According to reports, actor Derek Dixon has filed a lawsuit against the media mogul, claiming that they met at an event in 2019 where Perry “picked him out of a crowd and asked for his phone number, suggesting he might have a role for him.”
Dixon ended up landing a small role in two episodes of Perry’s other show, “Ruthless.” The actor also said that Perry invited him to his Atlanta home in 2020, which he accepted with the hopes of building a friendship with him. However, while at the house, he said that he drank too much and ended up falling asleep in the guest room.
According to court documents, Dixon said that Perry got into the bed with him and began touching him on his thighs. He claims that he rejected his advances but insisted that Perry was still interested.
Shortly after that incident, Dixon got a role in “The Oval” as Dale. He went on to say that the show’s creator began to send sexually suggestive texts, including asking what his sexual preferences were. Dixon said that his character Dale, was written as a gay, homeless, desperate store clerk who slept with other characters for a place to stay. He said that Tyler Perry said that’s what he was looking for in a real-life partner.
Afraid of his career being in danger, he didn’t want to flat out reject Perry, so instead he told him that he wasn’t the “sexual type.” The lawsuit also states that he was invited to go back to Perry’s home and accepted the offer; however, things took a turn for him. While at his house, Perry allegedly asked sexually explicit questions before grabbing him by his neck and saying, “Look how excited you just got,” implying that he likes to be rough in bed.
Dixon’s lawsuit also includes a series of text message conversations between both men, where Perry’s messages are allegedly sexually explicit. Dixon is suing for “quid pro quo and workplace sexual harassment, sexual assault, and battery. He is seeking $260 million in damages.
Tyler Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, said in a statement, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam. But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”