Everything to Know About the Claims Against Him

Tyler Perry is dealing with accusations of alleged sexual harassment, assault and retaliation by actor Derek Dixon.

In June 2025, Dixon filed a $260 million lawsuit against Perry that accused him of allegedly creating “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” between them whereas he was engaged on Perry’s exhibits The Oval and Ruthless, in response to court docket paperwork beforehand obtained by PEOPLE.

One in all Perry’s attorneys, Matthew Boyd, has vehemently denied the allegations on behalf of his consumer and instructed PEOPLE in an announcement, “Tyler will not be shaken down and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”

Three months after submitting the grievance, Dixon spoke out about his grievance for his first tv interview and defended his decision to sue Perry for $260 million on the grounds that he misplaced his earnings.

This is all the things to know concerning the lawsuit towards Tyler Perry.

Who’s Derek Dixon and the way did he meet Tyler Perry?

Dixon is an actor who claimed in his lawsuit that he met Perry in September 2019 whereas he was working on the opening occasion for Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Dixon claimed that the 2 talked, and Perry later texted him about potential jobs and allegedly made sexually suggestive feedback.

In November 2019, Perry allegedly supplied Dixon a task on his present, The Oval, and its spinoff, Ruthless. Dixon started starring on The Oval in 2021 because the character Dale and appeared in 5 seasons. He had the identical function on Ruthless for 2 episodes.

What was Tyler Perry accused of?

On June 13, 2025, Dixon sued Perry for $260 million for quid professional quo sexual harassment, sexual battery, sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional misery, retaliation and extra, in response to the grievance obtained by PEOPLE.

Within the lawsuit, Dixon described a number of separate incidents the place he was allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted by Perry.

The actor claimed within the lawsuit that he “suffered from extreme despair, anxiousness, abdomen pains, and nausea” and was recognized with post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) because of the alleged incidents.

The grievance additional accused Perry of encouraging Dixon to go together with the alleged harassment to make sure his profession growth.

Dixon left The Oval through the present’s final season, a choice he claimed value him round $400,000. Within the grievance, the actor requested a jury trial and damages of $260 million.

What has Tyler Perry stated concerning the lawsuit?

Perry has denied the allegations in statements shared by one in all his attorneys, Boyd. After the lawsuit was initially filed in June 2025, Boyd slammed the accusations as a “rip-off.”

“That is a person who obtained near Tyler Perry for what now seems to be nothing greater than organising a rip-off,” the lawyer stated in an announcement to PEOPLE. “However Tyler is not going to be shaken down and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”

Lower than one month after the lawsuit was filed, Perry attended the screening for his film Madea’s Destination Wedding in Atlanta on July 10, 2025. He didn’t tackle the accusations.

What has Derek Dixon stated about his $260 million lawsuit?

Dixon addressed the alleged sexual harassment, assault and retaliation for the primary time in an electronic mail interview with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2025. Within the electronic mail, Dixon stated that the lawsuit had been “terrifying” however that he “could not simply let him get away with this.”

“Everybody deserves to go to work and do their job with out their boss attempting to have intercourse with them,” Dixon wrote on the time. “My purpose is to assist make sure that the following era of actors and creatives haven’t got to decide on between their goals and their dignity.”

He continued, “For this reason folks, particularly males, do not come ahead. I used to be too afraid to return ahead. I knew it could be terrible. And I used to be proper.”

Dixon alleged that there have been “at all times makes an attempt” to settle privately with Perry, however he did not really feel they might have resulted “in the kind of change obligatory to guard additional victims.”

Dixon sat down for his first tv interview since submitting the lawsuit with ABC News and the speak aired on Sept. 9. Within the interview, the actor defined why he felt the necessity to file the lawsuit and the way he reached the $260 million determine.

“A part of that quantity is my misplaced job, my misplaced earnings, the lack of a present,” Dixon stated. “The opposite a part of that could be a deterrent for a way do you cease a billionaire who will not cease themselves from doing this.”

He added that “it has been laborious” for him since submitting the lawsuit, since it is a “susceptible factor to speak about” with “a lot of disgrace.”

“Simply attempting to suppose what you would have executed higher and having to take care of the judgment of what, you already know, everybody would possibly consider how you would have dealt with it higher with out being in that scenario,” he shared.

If you happen to or somebody you already know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.