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Tyler Perry Recalls Past Suicide Attempts After Stephen "tWitch" Boss' Death
Tyler Perry is facing a sexual harassment and assault lawsuit from an actor who worked on his shows.
Derek Dixon—who appeared in BET's Ruthless and The Oval—is suing the director for $260 million, alleging in court documents obtained by E! News that Perry "used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic" between the two.
"First, he offers aspiring actors the prospect of career-defining opportunities," Dixon accused Perry in his lawsuit, which was filed the Superior Court of California June 13. "Then, once they are in his professional orbit, he uses the weight of his influence to ensnare them, positioning their success as contingent on meeting his demands, in a quid pro quo sexual compromise."
E! News has reached out to Perry's rep for comment but hasn't heard back. However, his attorney Matthew Boyd told People in a statement about Dixon's lawsuit, "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."
According to Dixon's complaint, he first met Perry in September 2019 while working as a server at the grand opening party for the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. After exchanging numbers, Dixon alleged that Perry sent him sexually charged texts, all the while also offering him a small role in Ruthless.
Prince Williams/FilmMagic
During his time on the political drama, Dixon alleged that Perry would often ask him inappropriate questions about his sexuality. He also alleged that Perry groped him on several occasions while he worked on The Oval, including once in October 2020 during a cast trip to the Bahamas and again in June 2021, when he was at Perry's house discussing a potential pilot.
Dixon alleged in his lawsuit that the advances turned physical in January 2020, accusing the filmmaker of slipping into his bed and touching him inappropriately when he crashed at Perry's Georgia home after a night of drinking. And when Dixon ignored Perry's texts following the alleged assault, he said he received an offer to join the cast of The Oval.
Instagram/Derek Dixon
Dixon eventually "had to quit his job working on the last season of The Oval" because he "did not want to be sexually harassed or be placed in danger of a sexual assault again," according to his lawsuit.
Per the complaint, Dixon suffered "physical sickness, physical injuries, body pains, anxiety, worry, embarrassment, humiliation, injury to his professional reputation, mental anguish, emotional distress and posttraumatic
stress disorder" as a result of Perry's alleged behavior.
"Rather than using his influence responsibly, Tyler Perry has engaged in a pattern of misconduct where he exploited his position of power," Dixon's suit alleged. "That belief slowly transformed into the false idea that Mr. Perry can get whomever he wants. There are things in life that money cannot buy."
For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.
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