Derek Dixon Sues Tyler Perry for $260M in Sexual Harassment Case
Tyler Perry sued by actor on ‘The Oval’ for sexual assault and harassment
Tyler Perry was accused of sexual harassment, assault and retaliation in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles last week by Derek Dixon, an actor who worked with Perry for years.
In a complaint filed Friday, June 13, Dixon alleges that Perry created “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” with Dixon while they worked on “The Oval,” a BET drama series produced by Perry.
Dixon has sued Perry for quid pro quo, sexual harassment, workplace sexual harassment, and sexual assault and battery, among other claims. He is seeking $260 million in damages and a jury trial. Representatives for Dixon pointed to the lawsuit when reached for comment.
In the complaint, Dixon accused Perry of “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 when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry’s unwanted advances,” according to the lawsuit.
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, denied any wrongdoing by Perry in a statement: “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.”
In the 46-page lawsuit, Dixon alleges that he met Perry in September 2019 while working for an event company in Atlanta organizing a party for Perry’s studio. Over the next few months, Perry allegedly texted Dixon about finding him a job and changing his life. He was offered a role as the character Dale in Perry’s show “Ruthless” in November 2019, according to the lawsuit. The two continued to exchange messages throughout the winter, the suit says. In January 2020, months after Dixon took on the “Ruthless” role, Dixon was invited to Perry’s home in Georgia, where Perry allegedly sexually assaulted Dixon.
After the incident, Dixon ignored Perry’s messages until Perry offered him a series regular role on “The Oval,” according to the suit. “Dixon was intrigued and was hoping that this would be the big break that he was looking for and a chance for him to display his acting talent,” the complaint says.
In March 2020, while reading a script about his character in “The Oval,” Dixon realized his character’s fate was left uncertain, the lawsuit says. Dixon then believed that Perry would make the character die if Dixon “ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendos,” the suit says.
Dixon also alleged that Perry aggressively groped Dixon in a sexual manner during a cast trip in October 2020.
The sexual harassment, according to the lawsuit, continued into 2021 with Perry allegedly sending Dixon photos of Dixon’s body from the set of “The Oval” with sexually suggestive comments. In June of that year, Dixon alleges, Perry invited him to his home to discuss a show that Dixon wanted to produce. He accused Perry of sexually assaulting him at that meeting.
In 2023, the lawsuit says, Dixon told Perry that he was moving away from Atlanta to California to put distance between them. Dixon’s lawsuit says he gave up a full payment of almost $400,000 when he left “The Oval” in its final season.
According to the complaint, Dixon “continued to put up with” Perry’s advances due to fear for his career.
The complaint also alleges that Dixon visited a doctor who told him he had suffered insomnia, stomach issues and levels of stress. He was supplied Zoloft to deal with the stress, according to the lawsuit.
Tyler Perry’s New Thriller Just Celebrated a Massive Achievement on Netflix
Tyler Perry’s new release, Straw, has just celebrated a major achievement.
Straw tells the emotionally gripping story of a single mother who has no help and has to help her daughter, who falls ill often. The thriller stars Taraji P. Henson in the leading role and has received praise from the audience, although the critics disagreed. After debuting at the top of the charts in its first weekend, Netflix has just revealed that Straw had achieved two major feats: the biggest week this year for a movie and the biggest week for a 2025 launch.
In its debut week for the week between June 2 and 8, the mystery thriller debuted in first place with 25.3 million views and 48.5 million hours viewed. Since the film premiered on June 6 on the streaming platforms, it only had three days to gather views. The initial numbers were more than thrilling and in line with most Netflix hits, which generally premiere with 30 million views, give or take.
However, Straw‘s impressive debut week only improved in its second week. For the week between June 9 and 15, Straw almost doubled its views. In the full seven days, the thriller attracted 48.9 million views and 88 million hours viewed. It continued to be in the Top 10 in 93 countries, and was the No. 1 film in more than half of them, topping the charts in 58 countries, including the U.S.
Straw is Perry’s second thriller of 2025 after Duplicity, which premiered in March on Prime Video, but it had even better views and appeal. The thriller-drama had low scores, as it didn’t receive enough reviews for a critics’ rating, but only 26% from the audience.
Straw also divided the critics and the audiences. Straw debuted with a 46% “rotten” score from the critics out of 13 reviews. As more critics watch the film, the thriller’s score slightly improved to 50%, which still isn’t enough for a “fresh” score. However, audiences enjoyed the film.Straw currently enjoys a 72% approval on the Popcornmeter, which, while it’s not an impressive score, is positive enough, especially when paired with its massive viewership numbers.
With all its success on Netflix, it was impossible for Straw not to attract the attention of other important charts. In its second week, Straw also became the third most-watched title on IMDb‘s Top 10.
