Derek Dixon accused Tyler Perry of sexual misconduct and retaliation in a $260 million lawsuit that claims the actor feared dropping his job if he resisted.
Tyler Perry is being sued for $260 million by actor Derek Dixon, who claims the media mogul sexually harassed him on set, groped him with out consent and threatened his profession when he resisted.
The actor, who portrayed Dale on Perry’s BET sequence The Oval and its spinoff Ruthless, alleges Perry used his place of energy to coerce him right into a sexual relationship, promising skilled alternatives in return.
In accordance with court docket paperwork, Dixon says Perry repeatedly made undesirable advances, despatched sexually specific messages and touched him inappropriately—together with grabbing his buttocks and climbing into mattress with him after consuming.
Dixon claims one incident occurred inside a trailer on set, the place Perry allegedly groped him with out warning. He additionally accuses Perry of asking him, “Are you a high or a backside?” earlier than stating, “I’m a high. When you will have a giant dick and if you hit the G##### proper on these bottoms, they go loopy.”
In LGBTQ+ sexual dynamics, a “high” typically refers back to the penetrative accomplice, whereas a “backside” refers back to the receptive one.
The lawsuit alleges that Perry retaliated towards Dixon when he resisted Perry’s advances. On the finish of 1 season of The Oval, Dixon’s character was shot a number of occasions, however the storyline left his destiny unclear. Dixon believes this ambiguity was deliberate, a means for Perry to strain him into compliance or threat being written off.
Dixon additionally claims Perry bought the rights to a present he had written, promising to supply it, however by no means adopted by way of. He says this transfer deepened his skilled dependence on Perry and left him emotionally distressed.
The grievance contains screenshots of alleged textual content messages from Perry, a few of which include sexually specific content material and directions to maintain their interactions personal.
Dixon says the continuing harassment and manipulation prompted him to undergo from anxiousness, melancholy and post-traumatic stress dysfunction.
Perry’s legal professional, Matthew Boyd, issued a powerful denial of the allegations, calling the lawsuit a baseless try to take advantage of the producer’s fame and wealth.
“That is a person who acquired near Tyler Perry for what now seems to be nothing greater than organising a rip-off. However Tyler is not going to be shaken down and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail,” Boyd stated in an announcement.
