Tyler Perry is being sued for $260million (£190million) by actor Derek Dixon, who has accused the star of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and professional retaliation.
The complaint was filed last Friday (June 13) in Los Angeles, and refers to the period where Dixon was working on Perry’s TV shows The Oval and Ruthless. In both shows, the actor played a character named Dale.
Initially reported by People, the filing accused Perry of “initially promising him 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”.
Dixon claimed the two met when he was working at a party for Perry’s studio. The actor alleged Perry “picked (Dixon) out of a crowd of employees present at the party, and began asking (Dixon) questions about his employment status, and whether Plaintiff was an actor”.
He then alleges Perry assaulted him at the mogul’s home in January 2020, before offering him the role on Ruthless. The part, which would expand to a series regular role on the sister show The Oval, was kept in jeopardy by Perry, the filing claims, stating: “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”.
It continued: “Perry always held this over Mr. Dixon’s head, implying that ‘Dale’ would survive if Dixon kept Perry ‘happy'”. The complaint also alleged Perry assaulted Dixon in October 2020 by “aggressively groping Dixon’s buttocks in a sexual motion”.
Dixon claims the experiences left him with “symptoms of acute stress, insomnia, stomach issues, and dangerously low cortisol levels due to the sexual harassment and assault” for which he was prescribed antidepressant Zoloft.
In a statement to People, Perry’s attorney Matthew Boyd responded: “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam”. The statement added: “But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail”.
Coming to prominence in the ’00s as a writer, director and star, Tyler Perry is best known for his character Mabel “Madea” Simmons, a tough elderly woman he played in a number of successful comedies. He has gone on to produce a number of titles for TV and film, and in 2011 was estimated by Forbes to be the highest paid man in entertainment.
He is also the owner of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, a large production facility which has been used for the filming of Hollywood blockbusters such as Black Panther, and has a production partnership with Oprah Winfrey’s network OWN.
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
English (US) · 