Tyler Perry sued by actor on 'The Oval' for sexual assault and harassment
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 $260 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 lawsuit was filed Friday and first reported Tuesday by TMZ.
Perry's attorney, Matthew Boyd, said its allegations are 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 Tuesday. 'But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.'
The lawsuit says that Perry first noticed Dixon in 2019 when Dixon was part of the event staff at a Perry party, and later offered an audition.
Dixon would first appear in a small role on the Perry series 'Ruthless" before getting the bigger role on the political drama 'The Oval.'
Perry soon began sending unwanted sexual text messages to Dixon, according to the lawsuit, which includes screenshots of several of them.
'What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?' one of the messages says.
The lawsuit says Perry offered Dixon an increasingly prominent role on the show as his sexual advances became more aggressive.
The actor says he tried to remain friendly while maintaining boundaries.
'Dixon did his best to tiptoe around Mr. Perry's sexual aggression while keeping on Mr. Perry's good side,' the lawsuit says. 'Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendoes, Dixon's character would 'die.''
The lawsuit says Perry eventually sexually assaulted Dixon on 'multiple occasions," including an instance where he "forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself on Dixon."
Dixon clearly told Perry 'No,' but was initially ignored until he was able to de-escalate the situation and change the subject, according to the lawsuit.
The following day, Perry apologized, and told Dixon he would work with Dixon on a TV pilot Dixon was seeking to produce.
Dixon later received a raise that the lawsuit suggests was part of an attempt to keep him quiet.
He said the fear of his character dying kept him quiet as intended.
Perry also produced and bought the rights to the pilot, called 'Losing It,' but the lawsuit alleges Perry had no intention of selling the show and was using it only for leverage over Dixon.
The lawsuit describes several other assaults, including one where Dixon was staying in a guest room of Perry's house when Perry climbed into bed with him uninvited and began groping him, the lawsuit alleges.
Dixon would eventually move from Atlanta, home to Perry's production studio, to Los Angeles to put distance between the two of them.
Dixon in 2024 filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and when that didn't result in any action from the show's producers, he quit.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Dixon has.
'The Oval' is one of many television series executive produced by, written by and directed by the 55-year-old Perry, who first became known as creator and star of the 'Madea' films and has since built a major production empire in TV and movies. As an actor he has also appeared in the films 'Gone Girl' and 'Don't Look Up.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Fat Joe Underage Sex Lawsuit
The rapper's lawyer claims the case, which alleges he had relations with underage girls, if full of lies. Courtney Dawn-Smith filed for divorce after nearly four years of separation. And Jessie Smollet is engaged. Fox's Jill Nado has more in your 'TMZ Minute'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Justin Verlander, Kate Upton welcome their second child together
Justin Verlander and Kate Upton have welcomed their second child together. A rep for Upton told TMZ that the couple had a son, Bellamy Brooks Verlander, on Thursday. Verlander, 41, was placed on paternity leave by the Giants ahead of Friday's game against the Red Sox. Advertisement 3 Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander #35 and his wife Kate Upton pose for a photo as they celebrate after the game on October 23, 2022. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Speculation on a possible pregnancy for Upton, 33, first popped up in January when she was seen walking on the beach with Verlander in photos obtained by the Daily Mail. Verlander has been in a relationship with Upton since 2014, with the two tying the knot three years later in Tuscany, Italy. The couple had their first child, Genevieve, in November 2018. Advertisement 3 Kate Upton attends the 37th Annual Footwear News Achievement Awards at Cipriani South Street on November 29, 2023 in New York City. WireImage Verlander, who was drafted by the Tigers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, is in his 20th major league season and is the oldest active player in the big leagues. Despite starting 11 games so far for the Giants this year, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has yet to pick up his first win of the 2025 season, pitching to a 4.45 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 56⅔ innings. Advertisement Verlander's most recent start came on Wednesday, when he gave up three earned runs in 4⅔ innings against the Guardians after being sidelined for a month with a strained right pectoral muscle. 3 San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Oracle Park. Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images 'It felt good to be back out there,' Verlander told reporters following his start. 'Obviously, was a bit inconsistent. Wanted to give us a better chance to win, but stuff seemed OK and hopefully the inconsistency can clean up quickly.' Advertisement The 2011 AL MVP signed a one-year deal worth $15 million with the Giants in January, marking the fourth club he's played for in his career. ″This season's been a mental challenge just kind of trying to find my groove,' Verlander added. 'But as far as like the mental hurdle of feeling if I was healthy [tonight], I felt like I was OK.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Megan Thee Stallion Brings Hot Girl Summer to Love Island USA
Season 7 of Love Island USA was already spicy, but the show keeps leveling up. I'm obsessed! Summer House alum Paige DeSorbo hosted a lumberjack game for the islanders. And there was a naughty Leather and Lace party. Plus, for the first time, America voted and chose partners for three bombshells. And some islanders were spinning out afterwards. However, now the show has cranked the heat to scorching new levels because Megan Thee Stallion is serving up a Hot Girl Summer for the islanders. After the blind re-coupling and America's vote recoupling, some of the islanders weren't happy. When America picked Hannah Fields to couple with bombshell Pepe Garcia, she had been planning to stay in a couple with Charlie Georgiou. However, Charlie was voted off, so Hannah moved on. But she seems like she misses Charlie. Meanwhile, America tore apart Jeremiah Brown and Huda Mustafa. And they were the first couple (so far) to have sex in the villa. When Jeremiah was coupled with Iris Kendall, Huda was furious. However, their relationship had a toxic dynamic that was wearing on Jeremiah. And I was living for Amaya Espinal's hostile competition with her former partner, Ace Greene. You know you shouldn't have picked her, Ace! So, in essence, a hot twerking contest is what this group needed. TMZ reported that Megan brought her sexy moves and had the islanders compete in a twerking contest. Oh, Lord! You may need to keep a cool drink on hand for those sultry shenanigans! Plus, Love Island USA reportedly had 1.2 billion minutes streamed in less than one week. And that was across nine episodes! Season 7 is killing it, because it took last season almost one month to hit a billion minutes streamed. Love Island USA is streaming on Peacock. TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LOVE ISLAND USA SEASON 7? ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE MEGAN THEE STALLION? The post Megan Thee Stallion Brings Hot Girl Summer to Love Island USA appeared first on Reality Tea.
