"I haven't been touched in months" – Breaking down Derek Dixon's lawsuit as alleged Tyler Perry texts surface

American actor Derek Dixon filed a $260 million lawsuit against actor and producer Tyler Perry on June 13, 2025, accusing him of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and wrongful termination.

Trigger warning: This article has references to sexual misconduct. Discretion is advised.

Dixon, who plays the role of Dale in Perry’s BET network political drama The Oval, has claimed "a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation perpetrated by Tyler Perry," according to the court documents obtained by ABC News.

In the wake of the civil lawsuit that was filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court last Friday, alleged text exchanges between Dixon and Perry have surfaced. According to Fox5 Atlanta, multiple screenshots of DMs were included in the suit.

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In one such alleged DM, Derek appeared to think Tyler was complaining about not “being around people.” However, Perry seemingly clarified he was talking about something else.

“I didn’t have any contact. What are you talking about? I haven’t been touched in months,” the 'Vice' actor reportedly wrote.

In the same alleged text, Derek Dixon acknowledged being “stupid” and a “dumba**,” however, Tyler Perry replied, “Not dumba** but BLOND.”

While Tyler Perry has not addressed the accusations directly, his attorney, Matthew Boyd from TPS Production Services, LLC, has denied them on his behalf.

"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," Boyd told the press.

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Exploring Derek Dixon’s lawsuit against Tyler Perry as alleged text exchanges emerge

According to Derek Dixon’s lawsuit, Tyler Perry reportedly used his influence and power in Hollywood to create a seemingly "coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic" with him, while promising career advancement and creative opportunities in return for compliance.

The legal documents, as obtained by Fox5 Atlanta, revealed that the duo first met in 2019, after Perry approached Dixon at a private event at his Atlanta studio, where the latter was working.

The civil suit has claimed that Tyler offered Derek acting opportunities and subsequently cast him in his show Ruthless and a recurring role on The Oval. Later, Perry helped produce Dixon’s debut project, Losing It, as a quid pro quo set-up.

However, between 2020 and 2024, Tyler Perry reportedly began exhibiting inappropriate behavior, including sharing alleged “strange and untowardly” and later “aggressive” messages, alleged groping, and several instances of alleged sexual assault.

These include the alleged incident where Dixon was seemingly pinned against the wall inside Perry’s trailer and assaulted, non-consensual contact when he spent the night at the producer’s home, and a similar incident at a party on Perry’s private island in the Bahamas.

Meanwhile, the text exchanges included in the civil suit revealed Tyler threatening Derek to write him off the show, by reportedly writing, “I love killing a motherf**ker in a show that no one expects.”

In a follow-up text, Perry seemingly shared being “jealous” of a photo featuring Dixon and a person named Brad.

“What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex? Have y’all found that yet in therapy,” the New Orleans filmmaker allegedly wrote in a message.

Elsewhere, Perry reportedly sent flirty texts to Dixon at night when drunk, showed concern for Derek’s living situation, shared his vacation pictures with the plaintiff, expressed being “horny,” and warned the latter not to tell anybody about their “friendship.”

“I would hope that you would let someone hold you and make love to you. You are losing the best years of your life, my friend. Trust me. I hope you get past that block in your mind soon,” Perry allegedly wrote in another text.

The lawsuit detailed that when the plaintiff tried to resist the defendant’s advances, he faced professional retaliation. For instance, Derek was threatened that his character would be written off The Oval, which eventually happened.

When Dixon took the help of a lawyer and filed a formal complaint, he was reportedly asked to take a medical leave at first, but was soon allegedly fired without payment, worth approximately $400,000.

Now, the plaintiff is suing Tyler Perry for ten counts, including sexual battery, harassment, assault, workplace gender violence, and professional retaliation under California’s Fair Employment & Housing Act and Sexual Abuse & Cover-Up Accountability Act.

Derek Dixon is now seeking multi-million dollars in damages, alongside his legal fees, injunctive relief, and punitive compensation for "intentional, malicious, and despicable" conduct by Tyler Perry.

Other defendants include 50 unnamed individuals associated with the Madea creator, and his production companies, TPS Production Services and And Action LLC.

While Perry’s legal team has denied the allegations, Dixon’s attorney told ABC News that he had nothing more to say and the lawsuit “speaks for itself.”

Edited by Prem Deshpande