The actor and screenwriter are suing Tyler Perry for US$260 million in a lawsuit alleging that the media mogul used the power of his industry to repeatedly sexually assault and harass him while keeping him quiet.
Derek Dixon, who played the character Dale in Perry's egg form in 85 episodes, claims that Perry exposed him to “attack and battery and professional retaliation” when he failed to reciprocate Perry's unwanted progress.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 13th stated, “Perry has taken power and gained the power and has used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a forced, sexually exploitative dynamic with Dixon.
Perry's attorney, Matthew Boyd, said the lawsuit allegations were false.
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“This is an individual approaching Tyler Perry who now appears to have nothing more than set up a scam,” Boyd said in a statement Tuesday. “But Tyler will not be shaken up. I'm sure these forged harassment claims will fail.”
The lawsuit seen by the New York Times said that Perry first noticed in 2019 when Dixon was first thrown and offered an audition to Dixon.
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Dixon first appeared in a small role in the Perry series before gaining a bigger role in the political drama The Oval.
According to the lawsuit, Perry soon began sending unwanted sexual text messages to Dixon.
One of the messages reads, “What do you need to have innocent sex?”
In one example mentioned in the suit, Perry is said to have invited Dixon to his home in Douglasville, near Atlanta in 2020.
Dixon claims in the lawsuit that Perry went to bed with him in the middle of the night and “started rubbing Dixon's body around his inner thighs in a very sexual and thought-provoking way.” Dixon claimed he jumped out of bed and told Perry he was “not sexual.”
The lawsuit says that Perry offers Dixon an increasingly prominent role in the oval following the interaction, when he claims that his sexual advances have become more aggressive.
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The actor said he tried to remain friendly while maintaining boundaries.
“Dixon did his best to grab his toes around Perry's sexual assault, protecting the good side of Perry,” the lawsuit allegedly. “Perry revealed to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or engaged with a sexual suggester, Dixon's character would 'die'. ”
The lawsuit also alleges that Perry ultimately sexually assaulted Dixon on “multiple opportunities.”
Dixon told Perry “no,” but said he was initially ignored until he was able to escalate the situation and change the subject, according to the lawsuit.
The next day, Perry apologizes and tells Dixon that he is working with him on a TV pilot. Dixon wanted to produce.
Dixon claims he received a raise, which he considers to be part of an attempt to quiet him down, according to the lawsuit.
He also said the fear of his character dying in an oval shape prevented him from speaking out about his allegations against Perry.
Perry also called on the pilot to create rights and buy them and lose them, but the lawsuit alleges that Perry had no intention of selling the show, and only used it for leverage against Dixon.
Dixon said he moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta, where Perry's production studio is located, to keep a distance between them.
In 2024, Dixon filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee.
Dixon is seeking a trial trial and seeking $260 million in damages.
– Use files from Associated Press
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