American filmmaker Tyler Perry, popularly known for his hit Madea comedy series and films such as Acrimony, is facing a $260 million sexual assault lawsuit filed by actor Derek Dixon, who played Dale in Perry’s BET drama The Oval.
In his first on-camera interview with ABC News on September 9, 2025, Dixon alleged that Perry created a coercive environment that blurred professional boundaries and left him fearing for his job.
He claimed that Perry once pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks at the producer’s Atlanta home.
“I was under constant stress, scared I’d lose my job or be killed off the show if I didn’t comply,” Dixon said.
Explaining the size of the lawsuit, Dixon said it covers both personal damages and serves as a deterrent. “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.
The 2020 The Oval star also accused Perry of reneging on a promise to produce a pilot script he had written, which he said Perry still controls.
Despite the risks of going public, Dixon said he spoke out “to protect future generations of actors and creatives,” stressing that exploiting people’s aspirations for coercion is “unprofessional.”
Responding to the allegations, Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, dismissed the claims as an “elaborate scam.”
He said, “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 filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January 2024 before leaving The Oval later that year. His June 2025 lawsuit has since reignited debate over workplace harassment and power dynamics in Hollywood.
So far, Dixon remains the only publicly identified accuser, while Perry has firmly denied all allegations.
Leave a comment