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 towards the billionaire media mogul in a bombshell $260 million lawsuit.
Derek Dixon, who appeared in two tasks produced by Perry, filed a 46-page criticism in Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom 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 cellphone quantity, promising a attainable performing gig. Quickly, Dixon was supplied a small two-episode position in Perry’s Ruthless collection.
After that, Dixon claims he was invited to Perry’s Atlanta residence, the place he fell asleep in a visitor room after ingesting an excessive amount of. The actor claims Perry acquired 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 supplied Dixon the position of Dale in The Oval, which was a giant step for his performing 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 day by 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 concern of jeopardizing his profession.
“Dixon stored informing Perry that he was not into intercourse to maintain Perry at bay whereas on the identical time not insulting the one that 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 solid journey to the Bahamas. It additionally accuses Perry of flattening Dixon’s underwear at his residence in 2020, the place he “vigorously grabbed and groped his buttocks in a sexual method,” leaving Dixon “bare, shocked, and overwhelmed with concern.”
Dixon continued his skilled relationship with Perry, which led to a elevate in season two of The Oval. Perry additionally instructed Dixon that he needed to purchase the rights to shoot a pilot for a script Dixon had written, referred to 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 stress 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 mission as leverage over Dixon in a quid professional quo. The present was by no means developed, and when Perry later supplied Dixon a writing position on one other mission, Dixon declined and filed a criticism 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 criticism 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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