Actor and movie producer, Tyler Perry is currently in a s3x scandal after fellow actor, Derek Dixon accused him of s3xual assault and also a $260 million sexual assault lawsuit against him.
Derek Dixon, known for his role in BET’s “The Oval,” filed the lawsuit on June 13, claiming that the Perry made unwanted s3xual advances toward him and now s3xually explicit messages allegedly exchanged have now surfaced online.
In his lawsuit, Dixon alleges that Tyler Perry threatened his regular role on the show and used his “professional power for sexual leverage” over several years. The lawsuit states, “Using his influence, Mr. Perry provided vulnerable men with acting positions, roles, show contracts, cars, and money. Once the object of his desire was hooked, Tyler Perry would then put them in fear of losing it all unless they engaged in Mr. Perry’s perverted desire for sexual gratification.”
Dixon claims that Perry recruited him in 2019 to act on “Ruthless” while Dixon was working at an events company in Atlanta, home of Tyler Perry Studios. According to the complaint, Tyler Perry frequently referenced sex in text messages. Some of the messages reportedly included, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?” and “I love how I feel right now, but I don’t like being horny.”
The situation escalated in January 2020 when Dixon was invited to Perry’s home. At the end of the night, Dixon agreed to stay in a guest room after being told he was too intoxicated to drive. “Before he knew what was happening, Dixon felt someone else slip into bed behind him and start rubbing his body around his inner thigh in a highly sexual and suggestive manner,” writes Jonathan Delshad, Dixon’s lawyer, in the complaint. “Dixon turned around and saw that Tyler Perry was in bed with him.”
Following the alleged incident, Dixon mostly ignored Perry until the mogul offered him a role on “The Oval.” He claims he tolerated ongoing harassment, including questions about his sexual preferences, out of fear that his character—a gay, homeless store clerk who was shot at the end of the season—would be cut from the show.
On the second-to-last day of filming, Perry allegedly invited Dixon to his trailer for drinks. Once there, Dixon claims that Perry pinned him against a wall and groped him. He states he was unaware of a human resources department to report the incident.
In June 2021, the lawsuit states that Perry “began to vigorously grab, grope, and play with Dixon’s buttocks in a sexual manner” after they discussed a show that Dixon had pitched. Afterwards, Perry’s representatives allegedly contacted Dixon, offering him a $6,000 per episode raise to return for another season of “The Oval.” He was also informed that Perry wanted to buy the rights to produce the pilot of his show, which ultimately was not sold to a network due to pre-existing contracts between Tyler Perry Studios and Paramount Global.
Dixon later reported the alleged sexual harassment to regulatory agencies. He declined to return for “The Oval,” leading Perry to warn him that he would be in breach of contract if he informed other staff members about why he quit.
Screenshots of explicit text messages allegedly exchanged between Dixon and Tyler Perry have been released by foreign media following the lawsuit.
See below.
