American filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry, known for Acrimony and his hit Madea franchise, is facing a $260 million sexual assault lawsuit.
The lawsuit follows allegations of harassment and abuse made public by Derek Dixon, who portrayed Dale in Perry’s BET drama The Oval.
During his first on-camera interview with ABC News on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Dixon alleged that Perry established a coercive atmosphere that crossed professional boundaries and made him fear for his career.
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He claimed that Perry pulled down his underwear and groped his buttocks while at the producer’s home in Atlanta.
“I was under constant stress, scared I’d lose my job or be killed off the show if I didn’t comply,” Dixon said.
Dixon explained that the size of the damages reflects not only his personal losses but also serves as a deterrent against future abuse.
“Part of that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of a show. The other part of that is a deterrent for how do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this,” he explained.
He also alleged that Perry reneged on a promise to produce a pilot he wrote, which Dixon claims Perry still retains control over.
Despite the potential consequences of speaking out, Dixon said he chose to go public “to protect future generations of actors and creatives,” adding: “Never exploit someone’s aspirations to coerce them into a relationship. That’s unprofessional.”
In response to the allegations, Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, stated: “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be an elaborate scam. But Tyler will not be coerced, and we are confident that these unfounded harassment claims will not succeed.”
Dixon became part of Perry’s productions in 2020 and filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January 2024, before departing from The Oval later that same year.
His June 2025 lawsuit has further heightened attention on workplace harassment and the abuse of power within Hollywood.
To date, Dixon is the only accuser to come forward publicly, and Perry has denied all the allegations.
