Tyler Perry denies sexual assault accusations, calls $260M lawsuit ‘false and cynical’

Tyler Perry reportedly “looks forward to refuting each and every false accusation” his sexual assault accuser Derek Dixon has made in court.

Tyler Perry is pushing back hard against sexual assault allegations made by actor Derek Dixon, calling the claims “false” and motivated by greed, according to court documents obtained by People magazine.

On Oct. 1, Perry’s legal team reportedly filed paperwork with the U.S. District Court’s Central Division of California, alleging that Dixon’s sexual assault lawsuit against the filmmaker is “profoundly disappointing, cynical, and—most of all—false.”

The filing marks the latest development in a case that’s stirred controversy since Dixon first accused the 56-year-old media mogul of quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual battery, and retaliation back in June. The actor, who appeared in Perry’s shows ‘The Oval” and “Ruthless,” is seeking $260 million in damages from the filmmaker and Tyler Perry Studios. He alleged Perry created “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” while they worked together.

However, Perry’s legal team denies those claims in its most recent filings, arguing that Dixon’s lawsuit leans “on Hollywood stereotypes and the bad acts of others,” adding, “Dixon distorts and tries to turn sinister Mr. Perry’s acts of platonic friendship and professional mentorship.”

“Dixon invents alleged assaults and encounters that never happened,” the filing states. 

“Mr. Perry never assaulted Dixon or committed any sexual battery. He did not offer Dixon pay raises and shoot Dixon’s television pilot script to threaten, coerce, or control Dixon,”

Also alleging that “in his effort to exploit his friendship and professional relationship with Mr. Perry to obtain a $260 million payday, Dixon was forced to lie not only about Mr. Perry, but himself too.”

According to Perry’s legal team, the lawsuit is a reflection of the actor’s “greed and avarice” not Perry’s “alleged and nonexistent harassment or abuse.” The filing also asserts that Dixon’s motivation stemmed from frustration after Perry declined to sell his television pilot to Netflix. “Dixon did not file this lawsuit because of anything Mr. Perry did,” the documents claim. Perry’s team further argues that the case was filed in California, when production occurred in Georgia.

“By his actions and false accusations, it is clear that Dixon needs help. But he cannot find it in this Court,” the filing continues. “Although Dixon alleges that he was the victim of escalating sexual misconduct, he had no problem taking a role on Season 2 of Mr. Perry’s television series The Oval.” 

Dixon’s attorney, Jonathan J. Delshad, responded to the filings in a statement to People magazine: “Perry’s filing provides no evidence to corroborate that the text messages in our complaint are fabricated,” Delshad said. “Our complaint includes text messages where Mr. Perry made explicit sexual remarks to Mr. Dixon, questioned him about his sex life, and dangled professional opportunities based on those interactions.”

“No employer has the right to manipulate or threaten an employee’s livelihood based on sexual expectations,” Delshad continued. “We are certain that we will be able to prove to a jury that sexual harassment, assault, and battery absolutely happened.”

The attorney added, “I am convinced that Mr. Dixon is not the only one and that soon others will be sharing stories about Mr. Perry. My client is not intimidated by wealth, influence or the celebrity status of Mr. Perry. Nobody is above the law. We are committed to holding Mr. Perry accountable to the full extent of the law.”

Dixon claims he met Perry at the 2019 grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta and that the director began texting him afterward, sometimes with “suggestive advances.” The actor alleges Perry sexually assaulted him at his home in January 2020, after offering him a small role on “Ruthless,” and again later that year after filming “The Oval.”

He also claims another incident occurred during a 2020 cast trip to the Bahamas, after which he sought medical treatment for “acute stress, insomnia, stomach issues, and dangerously low cortisol levels.” Dixon says Perry assaulted him again in June 2021 during a meeting about his pilot “Losing It.”

By early 2023, Dixon says he moved to California “to put some distance” between them. He ultimately left “The Oval” during its final season, claiming he lost nearly $400,000 as a result.

Perry’s team has denied every allegation and says the filmmaker “looks forward to refuting each and every false accusation in court.”