Tyler Perry is pushing back against serious allegations made by actor Derek Dixon, who filed a $260 million lawsuit claiming the filmmaker sexually assaulted and harassed him.
According to court documents filed on October 1 in the United States District Court’s Central Division of California, and obtained by People, Perry’s legal team called Dixon’s claims “profoundly disappointing, cynical, and—most of all—false.”
The motion argued that Dixon is “exploiting his friendship and professional relationship with Mr. Perry to obtain a $260 million payday,” further stating that Dixon “needs help.”
Dixon, who previously appeared on Perry’s shows The Oval and Ruthless, accused Perry of creating what he described as “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic.”
He alleged that Perry sent him unsolicited sexual text messages, made explicit comments about his body, and tied professional opportunities to their interactions.
In the complaint, Dixon detailed alleged encounters, including an incident in Perry’s trailer after filming when he claimed Perry groped him, and another on a cast trip to the Bahamas. He also claimed Perry assaulted him at his Atlanta home in January 2020 and again during a meeting about Dixon’s pilot project Losing It in 2021.
Earlier this year, Dixon claimed that his goal in filing the lawsuit was not financial, but to create change in the industry. “Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them,” he said. He also alleged that he attempted to reach a private settlement, but believed it would not have prevented future misconduct.
In his complaint, Dixon claimed that the alleged harassment left him with severe stress, insomnia, stomach issues, and dangerously low cortisol levels. He said he was prescribed Zoloft by a physician in late 2020. Dixon, who left The Oval during its final season, said the departure cost him nearly $400,000 in lost income.
Perry’s team denied all of the allegations and argued that the lawsuit rests on “Hollywood stereotypes and the bad acts of others.” They claim Dixon invented scenarios, misrepresented their professional relationship, and retaliated after Perry failed to sell Dixon’s pilot script to Netflix.
They also argued that the case was filed in the wrong state, since the productions took place in Georgia rather than California.
“Mr. Perry never assaulted Dixon or committed any sexual battery,” the October filing read. “He did not offer Dixon pay raises and shoot Dixon’s television pilot script to threaten, coerce, or control Dixon.”
Dixon’s attorney, Jonathan J. Delshad, responded in a statement that Perry’s defense “provides no evidence to corroborate that the text messages in our complaint are fabricated.” Delshad added, “No employer has the right to manipulate or threaten an employee’s livelihood based on sexual expectations. We are certain that we will be able to prove to a jury that sexual harassment, assault, and battery absolutely happened.”
He also suggested that other individuals may come forward with similar claims against Perry. “My client is not intimidated by wealth, influence, or the celebrity status of Mr. Perry,” Delshad said. “Nobody is above the law.”
As the case unfolds, Perry has vowed to “refute each and every false accusation in court.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, confidential support is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online at rainn.org.