Tyler Perry accused of sexual assault, harassment by actor who worked on his TV series The Oval
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 US in damages.
According to the lawsuit, Perry used his success and influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Dixon. Initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, Perry then subjected him to escalating sexual harassment, assault, and professional retaliation.
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, has denied the allegations, stating that the claims are false and that Dixon was attempting to scam Perry.
The lawsuit details how Perry first noticed Dixon in 2019 at a party and later offered him an audition. Dixon appeared in a small role on the Perry series Ruthless before landing a bigger role on The Oval.
Text messages included in the lawsuit show Perry’s unwanted sexual advances towards Dixon, with one message reading, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?”
As Perry’s advances became more aggressive, he allegedly offered Dixon a more prominent role on the show. Despite trying to maintain boundaries, Dixon felt pressured to comply in fear of his character being killed off.
The lawsuit claims that Perry sexually assaulted Dixon on multiple occasions, including instances where he forcibly removed Dixon’s clothing, groped him, and attempted to force himself on him.
After Dixon expressed his discomfort, Perry apologized and offered to work with him on a TV pilot. However, the lawsuit alleges that Perry had no intention of selling the show and was using it as leverage over Dixon.
Following several other alleged assaults, Dixon moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles to distance himself from Perry. In 2024, he filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but received no action from the show’s producers, leading him to quit.
The Oval is one of many television series executive produced by Tyler Perry, a 55-year-old actor, writer, and director known for his Madea films. Perry has built a major production empire in TV and movies and has also appeared in films such as Gone Girl and Don’t Look Up.
It is important to note that the Associated Press does not typically name individuals who claim to have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Dixon has done.
