Actor accuses Tyler Perry of sexual assault in $400 million lawsuit
Los Angeles: An actor who worked on the Tyler Perry-created TV drama The Oval has filed a lawsuit alleging Perry leveraged his industry power to repeatedly sexually assault and harass him while keeping him quiet.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by actor Derek Dixon, who appeared on 85 episodes of the BET series, seeks at least $US260 million ($400 million) in damages.
'Mr Perry took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr Dixon — initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation,' the lawsuit says.
The Oval is one of many television series executive produced by, written by and directed by the 55-year-old billionaire entertainment mogul, who first became known as creator and star of the Madea films and has since built a major TV and movie production empire. As an actor he has appeared in the films Gone Girl and Don't Look Up.
Perry is also a close friend of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, and is the godfather of their daughter Lilibet. He lent the couple one of his homes and supported them as they moved from the UK to the US in 2020 and appeared in their 2022 Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday and first reported Tuesday by TMZ.
Perry's lawyer, Matthew Boyd, said its allegations were false.
'This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,' Boyd said in a statement on Tuesday. 'But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.'
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An actor on the US BET television show The Oval has filed a civil lawsuit that accuses media mogul Tyler Perry of repeated sexual assault and harassment. Derek Dixon is seeking $US260 million ($A402 million) in punitive damages from Perry in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and reported by TMZ on Tuesday. In the suit, Dixon accuses Perry of "a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation". A lawyer for Perry called the lawsuit "a scam". "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than a scam," lawyer Matthew Boyd said in a statement. "But Tyler Perry will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Perry is a successful actor, writer and producer of dozens of TV shows and films, including the Madea movie series. Forbes estimates his net worth at $US1.4 billion. The lawsuit claims Perry met Dixon when he was working on the event staff at a party Perry was hosting, and that Perry offered him a role on the series Ruthless in 2019 and a bigger part later on The Oval. Dixon alleges that Perry sent unwanted, sexually suggestive text messages to him. The suit includes screenshots of what it said were exchanges between the two. "What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?" said one of the messages that Dixon said was from Perry. After the messages, Perry's behaviour escalated to sexual assault, the lawsuit said. One night at Perry's home, the lawsuit said, Perry told Dixon he was too drunk to drive and urged him to stay in a guest room. Dixon said he woke up in the middle of the night to find Perry in bed with him and rubbing his thigh. In another case, Perry "forcibly pulled off Mr Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks and attempted to force himself on Dixon", the lawsuit said. Dixon tried to remain friendly with Perry while rebuffing his advances in order to keep his job, the lawsuit said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 An actor on the US BET television show The Oval has filed a civil lawsuit that accuses media mogul Tyler Perry of repeated sexual assault and harassment. Derek Dixon is seeking $US260 million ($A402 million) in punitive damages from Perry in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and reported by TMZ on Tuesday. In the suit, Dixon accuses Perry of "a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation". A lawyer for Perry called the lawsuit "a scam". "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than a scam," lawyer Matthew Boyd said in a statement. "But Tyler Perry will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Perry is a successful actor, writer and producer of dozens of TV shows and films, including the Madea movie series. Forbes estimates his net worth at $US1.4 billion. The lawsuit claims Perry met Dixon when he was working on the event staff at a party Perry was hosting, and that Perry offered him a role on the series Ruthless in 2019 and a bigger part later on The Oval. Dixon alleges that Perry sent unwanted, sexually suggestive text messages to him. The suit includes screenshots of what it said were exchanges between the two. "What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?" said one of the messages that Dixon said was from Perry. After the messages, Perry's behaviour escalated to sexual assault, the lawsuit said. One night at Perry's home, the lawsuit said, Perry told Dixon he was too drunk to drive and urged him to stay in a guest room. Dixon said he woke up in the middle of the night to find Perry in bed with him and rubbing his thigh. In another case, Perry "forcibly pulled off Mr Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks and attempted to force himself on Dixon", the lawsuit said. Dixon tried to remain friendly with Perry while rebuffing his advances in order to keep his job, the lawsuit said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 An actor on the US BET television show The Oval has filed a civil lawsuit that accuses media mogul Tyler Perry of repeated sexual assault and harassment. Derek Dixon is seeking $US260 million ($A402 million) in punitive damages from Perry in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and reported by TMZ on Tuesday. In the suit, Dixon accuses Perry of "a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation". A lawyer for Perry called the lawsuit "a scam". "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than a scam," lawyer Matthew Boyd said in a statement. "But Tyler Perry will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Perry is a successful actor, writer and producer of dozens of TV shows and films, including the Madea movie series. Forbes estimates his net worth at $US1.4 billion. The lawsuit claims Perry met Dixon when he was working on the event staff at a party Perry was hosting, and that Perry offered him a role on the series Ruthless in 2019 and a bigger part later on The Oval. Dixon alleges that Perry sent unwanted, sexually suggestive text messages to him. The suit includes screenshots of what it said were exchanges between the two. "What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?" said one of the messages that Dixon said was from Perry. After the messages, Perry's behaviour escalated to sexual assault, the lawsuit said. One night at Perry's home, the lawsuit said, Perry told Dixon he was too drunk to drive and urged him to stay in a guest room. Dixon said he woke up in the middle of the night to find Perry in bed with him and rubbing his thigh. In another case, Perry "forcibly pulled off Mr Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks and attempted to force himself on Dixon", the lawsuit said. Dixon tried to remain friendly with Perry while rebuffing his advances in order to keep his job, the lawsuit said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 An actor on the US BET television show The Oval has filed a civil lawsuit that accuses media mogul Tyler Perry of repeated sexual assault and harassment. Derek Dixon is seeking $US260 million ($A402 million) in punitive damages from Perry in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and reported by TMZ on Tuesday. In the suit, Dixon accuses Perry of "a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation". A lawyer for Perry called the lawsuit "a scam". "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than a scam," lawyer Matthew Boyd said in a statement. "But Tyler Perry will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Perry is a successful actor, writer and producer of dozens of TV shows and films, including the Madea movie series. Forbes estimates his net worth at $US1.4 billion. The lawsuit claims Perry met Dixon when he was working on the event staff at a party Perry was hosting, and that Perry offered him a role on the series Ruthless in 2019 and a bigger part later on The Oval. Dixon alleges that Perry sent unwanted, sexually suggestive text messages to him. The suit includes screenshots of what it said were exchanges between the two. "What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?" said one of the messages that Dixon said was from Perry. After the messages, Perry's behaviour escalated to sexual assault, the lawsuit said. One night at Perry's home, the lawsuit said, Perry told Dixon he was too drunk to drive and urged him to stay in a guest room. Dixon said he woke up in the middle of the night to find Perry in bed with him and rubbing his thigh. In another case, Perry "forcibly pulled off Mr Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks and attempted to force himself on Dixon", the lawsuit said. Dixon tried to remain friendly with Perry while rebuffing his advances in order to keep his job, the lawsuit said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
