June 18, 2025
Tyler Perry’s legal professionals are calling one actor’s $260 million sexual harassment lawsuit a “rip-off.”
Tyler Perry’s lawyer is blasting the “fabricated claims” an actor and screenwriter is bringing in opposition to the billionaire media mogul in a bombshell $260 million lawsuit.
Derek Dixon, who appeared in two tasks produced by Perry, filed a 46-page grievance in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket accusing Perry of utilizing his “his “wealth and affect” to pursue “a sexual relationship with a person who would stay silent,” NBC Information reported. However Perry’s lawyer dismissed the allegations, calling the $260 million lawsuit a money-grabbing “rip-off.”
Perry’s authorized staff accuses Dixon of making an attempt to get near the famed producer “for what now seems to be nothing greater than organising a rip-off. However Tyler is not going to be shaken down, and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Dixon met Perry in 2019 whereas working for an occasions firm. The actor claims the Madea star picked him out and requested for his telephone quantity, promising a doable appearing gig. Quickly, Dixon was provided a small two-episode function in Perry’s Ruthless sequence.
After that, Dixon claims he was invited to Perry’s Atlanta house, the place he fell asleep in a visitor room after consuming an excessive amount of. The actor claims Perry bought into the mattress with him and began touching his thighs. Dixon claims to have turned down Perry’s advances, however the lawsuit alleges that the media mogul continued his pursuit of the actor.
Perry quickly provided Dixon the function of Dale in The Oval, which was an enormous step for his appearing profession. However he claims what adopted was sexually suggestive texts from Perry, together with questions on his sexual preferences, insinuations of being “sexy,” and claims of getting intercourse with males. The go well with additionally claims Perry would name him each day as if he had been his on-call “pet.”
The go well with claims that Dixon continued to show down Perry’s advances whereas remaining pleasant, out of worry of jeopardizing his profession.
“Dixon stored informing Perry that he was not into intercourse to maintain Perry at bay whereas on the similar time not insulting the one who was dangling his profession in entrance of him,” the go well with stated.
The lawsuit accuses Perry of groping Dixon twice in 2020, together with throughout a forged journey to the Bahamas. It additionally accuses Perry of knocking down Dixon’s underwear at his house in 2020, the place he “vigorously grabbed and groped his buttocks in a sexual method,” leaving Dixon “bare, shocked, and overwhelmed with worry.”
Dixon continued his skilled relationship with Perry, which led to a elevate in season two of The Oval. Perry additionally informed Dixon that he wished to purchase the rights to shoot a pilot for a script Dixon had written, known as Dropping It. The go well with claims Dixon wrestled with going public with the allegations or accepting Perry’s cash, however he finally gave in to strain to guard his profession.
The go well with alleges that Perry purchased and filmed the script for Dropping It with no actual intention of manufacturing it, utilizing the venture as leverage over Dixon in a quid professional quo. The present was by no means developed, and when Perry later provided Dixon a writing function on one other venture, Dixon declined and filed a grievance with the EEOC.
Dixon is now looking for $260 million in punitive damages, evaluating Perry’s alleged actions to these of different high-profile figures within the leisure business accused of sexual misconduct.
“Mr. Perry’s success has led him to consider that cash and affect can get him no matter he desires,” the grievance stated. “Mr. Perry sought the one factor his wealth and affect couldn’t buy — a sexual relationship with a person who would stay silent.”
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