Tyler Perry faced with $260M suit, actor claims sexual harassment, assault and retaliation

Hollywood actor and director Tyler Perry was hit with a massive lawsuit claiming sexual harassment, assault and retaliation.

Actor Derek Dixon filed the complaint on June 13, seeking $260 million after he claims Perry threatened his position on “The Oval” and “Ruthless.” Dixon claims that Perry, who directed the shows, created “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” that resulted in retaliation when the actor would not respond to Perry’s advances.

Fox News Digital received a copy of the complaint, highlighting the claim that Perry was “initially promising him [Dixon] career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry’s unwanted advances.”

Attorney Matthew Boyd, who is representing Tyler Perry and TPS Production Services, LLC, issued a statement to Fox News denying the allegations and accusing Dixon of setting up a “scam.”

“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.”

“Dixon said that he met Perry in September 2019 while working at the opening party of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. By November 2019, Perry offered Dixon a role in ‘Ruthless’ that would ‘change his life,’ according to the complaint,” Fox reported. “After filming a few small scenes in Perry’s show, Dixon was asked to work at another party for the filmmaker in December 2019. At that point, Dixon accuses Perry of calling him and texting him often, demanding he give Perry ‘some attention.’”

At this point, the actor claims Perry sexually assaulted him in 2020. He was allegedly offered a regular role on “The Oval” the month after the alleged assault.

“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 reads. “Indeed, Dixon’s character ‘Dale’ was shot four times in the chest at the end of his first season on ‘The Oval,’ and Perry always held this over Mr. Dixon’s head, implying that ‘Dale’ would survive if Dixon kept Perry ‘happy.’”

“After filming the scene, Dixon stated that he went to Perry’s trailer and was groped by the star. He claimed a similar incident happened during a cast trip to the Bahamas in October 2020,” the Fox report reads.

The stressful workplace even had negative effects on Dixon’s health, the complaint says.

“Dixon alleged in the complaint that he visited a doctor in December 2020 who ‘indicated that Dixon’s exhibited severe symptoms of acute stress, insomnia, stomach issues, and dangerously low cortisol levels due to the sexual harassment and assault,’” the outlet continued, adding that the actor was prescribed Zoloft, a common antidepressant.

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In June 2021, Dixon claimed that Perry invited him to his home to discuss his pilot episode for “Losing It,” which Perry had expressed an interest in producing, according to the complaint. Dixon claimed Perry sexually assaulted him during this meeting.

Dixon claimed over the next five months, he “suffered from severe depression, anxiety, stomach pains, and nausea” and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

After his diagnosis, Dixon said that Perry had “fixers” who came in and offered him a raise to return to “The Oval” and the filmmaker would buy the right to produce “Losing It.”

A jury trial is being requested in the case.

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

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