Derek Dixon Stands Firm on Tyler Perry Sexual Assault Claims, Wants $260M in Civil Suit

Actor Derek Dixon is standing firm on allegations against entertainment mogul Tyler Perry. He claims Perry sexually harassed and assaulted him while he worked on Perry’s TV shows. Dixon filed a $260 million lawsuit against the filmmaker in June. On Sept. 10, he gave his first on-camera interview with ABC News.

Dixon met Perry at a studio opening party in Atlanta in 2019 while working for an events company. Perry learned Dixon was an aspiring actor and offered to help. He eventually cast him as Dale in the BET series “The Oval,” Dixon alleges. But the actor says Perry’s support came with troubling strings attached.

The 35-year-old detailed a series of alleged incidents between 2019 and 2021. They ranged from inappropriate late-night texts to an assault in a guesthouse, all while Perry was mentoring his career. However, Perry has vehemently denied the claims. 

Here is a look at what Dixon said about the alleged assault.

Derek Dixon detailed several alleged incidents involving Tyler Perry.

Dixon alleges that soon after he joined “The Oval,” Perry began sending him personal text messages, some with sexual overtones. One read, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex? … I would hope that you would let someone hold and make love to you,” Dixon told ABC News, quoting Perry’s alleged words.

By January 2020, Dixon says the relationship crossed a physical line. After a work event, Perry invited him to stay in a guesthouse on his Atlanta estate rather than drive home intoxicated. Dixon claims that as he lay down to sleep, Perry climbed into bed and rubbed his leg. Startled, Dixon jumped up. He says Perry persisted, telling him, “Turn around so I can look at you,” while making comments about his appearance. Dixon says Perry eventually left, and he hoped the boundary was clear that he wasn’t interested.

Dixon insists the advances escalated in the months that followed. He recalls one incident when Perry invited him for celebratory drinks in the producer’s trailer. Perry allegedly asked if he was sexually attracted to him. Dixon says he tried to diffuse the tension but made clear he wasn’t interested. “That’s when he pushed me up against the wall and grabbed my ass again,” Dixon said. “I remember leaving his trailer and calling my friend immediately. I just felt sick about it.”

Tyler Perry denies the claims made by Derek Dixon. 

Dixon went on to describe another incident in June 2021 at Perry’s Atlanta home. At the time, he was developing his sitcom pilot “Losing It” and hoped Perry would produce it. During the visit, Dixon says Perry mixed strong drinks and pressed him about why he wasn’t having sex with anyone.

Later, Perry allegedly told him it was “time to end the night” and led him to a bathroom attached to the guest bedroom. He showed Dixon a digital scale and told him to step on it in his underwear. Dixon says he complied, but what followed left him shaken. “He reached down and pulled my underwear down and grabbed my ass. I tried to stop him. He grabbed my arms and said, ‘No, no, no, it’s OK, just go with it.’ I said, ‘Stop, I don’t want to be naked,’” Dixon recalled.

Dixon says the encounters left him in emotional turmoil, and by late 2020, the stress was taking a physical toll. However, Perry has rejected the allegations. His attorney, Matthew Boyd, dismissed the claims as a scam, telling ABC News, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.”

What kind of impact do you think this lawsuit could have on Tyler Perry’s reputation? Comment below!

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