Tyler Perry Faces $260m Sexual Assault Lawsuit From Actor Derek Dixon

Filmmaker Tyler Perry, known for Acrimony and his fashionable Madea drama series, is battling a $260 cardinal intersexual battle suit aft histrion Derek Dixon, who played Dale connected Perry’s BET play The Oval, went nationalist with allegations of harassment and abuse.

In his archetypal on-camera interrogation with ABC News connected September 9, 2025, Dixon claimed Perry fostered a coercive dynamic that blurred nonrecreational boundaries and near him fearful for his career.

He alleged that Perry pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks astatine the producer’s Atlanta home. “I was nether changeless stress, frightened I’d suffer my occupation oregon beryllium killed disconnected the amusement if I didn’t comply”.

Explaining the damages sought, Dixon said the suit reflects some idiosyncratic losses and a deterrent against aboriginal abuse.

“Part of that fig is my mislaid job, my mislaid income, the nonaccomplishment of a show. The different portion of that is simply a deterrent, however bash you halt a billionaire who won’t halt themselves from doing this?” helium said.

Dixon besides accused Perry of failing to present connected a committedness to nutrient a aviator helium had written, which helium said Perry inactive controls.

Despite the risks of speaking out, Dixon said helium went nationalist “to support aboriginal generations of actors and creatives,” adding, “Never exploit someone’s aspirations to coerce them into a relationship. That’s unprofessional.”

Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, dismissed the claims, saying, “This is an idiosyncratic who got adjacent to Tyler Perry for what present appears to beryllium an elaborate scam. But Tyler volition not beryllium coerced, and we are assured that these unfounded harassment claims volition not succeed.”

Dixon, who joined Perry’s productions successful 2020, filed a ailment with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission successful January 2024 earlier leaving The Oval aboriginal that year.

His June 2025 suit has since intensified scrutiny of workplace harassment and powerfulness dynamics successful Hollywood.