Tyler Perry’s lawyer is blasting the “fabricated claims” an actor and screenwriter is bringing against the billionaire media mogul in a bombshell $260 million lawsuit.
Derek Dixon, who appeared in two projects produced by Perry, filed a 46-page complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court accusing Perry of using his “his “wealth and influence” to pursue “a sexual relationship with a man who would remain silent,” NBC News reported. But Perry’s lawyer dismissed the allegations, calling the $260 million lawsuit a money-grabbing “scam.”
Perry’s legal team accuses Dixon of trying to get close to the famed producer “for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam. But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Dixon met Perry in 2019 while working for an events company. The actor claims the Madea star picked him out and asked for his phone number, promising a possible acting gig. Soon, Dixon was offered a small two-episode role in Perry’s Ruthless series.
After that, Dixon claims he was invited to Perry’s Atlanta home, where he fell asleep in a guest room after drinking too much. The actor claims Perry got into the bed with him and started touching his thighs. Dixon claims to have turned down Perry’s advances, but the lawsuit alleges that the media mogul continued his pursuit of the actor.
Perry soon offered Dixon the role of Dale in The Oval, which was a big step for his acting career. But he claims what followed was sexually suggestive texts from Perry, including questions about his sexual preferences, insinuations of being “horny,” and claims of having sex with men. The suit also claims Perry would call him daily as if he were his on-call “pet.”
The suit claims that Dixon continued to turn down Perry’s advances while remaining friendly, out of fear of jeopardizing his career.
“Dixon kept informing Perry that he was not into sex to keep Perry at bay while at the same time not insulting the person who was dangling his career in front of him,” the suit said.
The lawsuit accuses Perry of groping Dixon twice in 2020, including during a cast trip to the Bahamas. It also accuses Perry of pulling down Dixon’s underwear at his home in 2020, where he “vigorously grabbed and groped his buttocks in a sexual manner,” leaving Dixon “naked, shocked, and overwhelmed with fear.”
Dixon continued his professional relationship with Perry, which led to a raise in season two of The Oval. Perry also told Dixon that he wanted to buy the rights to shoot a pilot for a script Dixon had written, called Losing It. The suit claims Dixon wrestled with going public with the allegations or accepting Perry’s money, but he ultimately gave in to pressure to protect his career.
The suit alleges that Perry bought and filmed the script for Losing It with no real intention of producing it, using the project as leverage over Dixon in a quid pro quo. The show was never developed, and when Perry later offered Dixon a writing role on another project, Dixon declined and filed a complaint with the EEOC.
Dixon is now seeking $260 million in punitive damages, comparing Perry’s alleged actions to those of other high-profile figures in the entertainment industry accused of sexual misconduct.
“Mr. Perry’s success has led him to believe that money and influence can get him whatever he wants,” the complaint said. “Mr. Perry sought the one thing his wealth and influence could not purchase — a sexual relationship with a man who would remain silent.”
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