Tyler Perry denies sexual assault claims in actor's lawsuit
1 of 5 | Tyler Perry speaks at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 9. He denies the claims in a $260 million lawsuit, filed Friday. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 18 (UPI) -- Filmmaker Tyler Perry denies claims that he sexually assaulted an actor who worked on his television shows The Oval and Ruthless.
Derek Dixon's $260 million lawsuit asserts that the Madea star escalated "sexual harassment, assault and battery and professional retaliation when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry's unwanted advances."
The lawsuit, filed Friday, alleges that "strange and untowardly" text messages began after the pair met in 2019, and that Dixon was assaulted in January 2020 before eventually being offered a part in The Oval.
"Dixon immediately understood that his job security depended on his 'relationship' with Perry. From this point on, Dixon worked with the constant fear of losing his job if he did not engage with and endure Perry's sexual harassment," the lawsuit alleges, as reported by Good Morning America.
The actor claims that his stress was so severe he was prescribed an antidepressant, and ultimately moved to Santa Monica, Calif.
Perry's attorney, Matthew Boyd, denied the claims and dismissed the lawsuit as a "scam."
"This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry 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," he said.
Tyler Perry's Madea's Destination Wedding is due July 11. He is also behind the film Straw, starring Taraji P. Henson and Teyana Taylor, which arrived on Netflix June 6.
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