This text incorporates discussions of occasions involving sexual assault
Almost one month after submitting a lawsuit towards Tyler Perry for sexual assault and battery, actor Derek Dixon opens up for the primary time about his choice to return ahead. Dixon is an actor who labored with Perry on reveals The Oval and Ruthless lately. However, he got here ahead final month with varied allegations towards the creator/producer.
Dixon’s lawsuit towards Tyler Perry was filed on June 17, 2025, and accused the Hollywood mogul of sexual assault, harassment, battery, and office misconduct that occurred on a number of cases over the past a number of years. Following the lawsuit’s submitting, Perry’s lawyer, Matthew Boyd, issued an announcement denying the accusations, saying, “Tyler is not going to be shaken down and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Now, Derek Dixon has spoken publicly for the primary time for the reason that lawsuit. He responded to emails with The Hollywood Reporter in regards to the lawsuit, why he got here ahead now, and extra. As for the timing of the lawsuit towards Perry, Dixon defined, “I couldn’t simply let him get away with this” as a part of his reasoning for sharing his expertise now. He additionally stated:
Everybody deserves to go to work and do their job with out their boss attempting to have intercourse with them. My aim is to assist be sure that the following technology of actors and creatives don’t have to decide on between their goals and their dignity.
The actor’s lawsuit comes over a 12 months since he filed a sexual harassment grievance with the Equal Employment Alternative Fee, which remains to be pending. Dixon give up working for Perry on The Oval at the side of this transfer, and he may not stay quiet about what his boss had carried out to him.
I used to be an worker, and he was my boss. The truth that I’m an actor doesn’t make me any much less an worker. For a very long time, I satisfied myself that it was a part of the business, or that one way or the other I needed to settle for it to maintain working. However ultimately, I couldn’t keep silent anymore.
Dixon additionally shared that the response to his lawsuit towards Perry has been assorted. Along with Perry denying the allegations, the actor says he is obtained loss of life threats and harassment, which he says “is why folks, particularly males, do not come ahead.” However, he is additionally obtained messages from others with related experiences together with his former boss.
As for why Dixon went down the trail of a public lawsuit towards a robust determine in Hollywood fairly than settle privately, he informed The Hollywood Reporter {that a} worry that Perry may hold getting away with this conduct if it remained a secret factored into his choice and suggests he did attempt to settle the matter in non-public earlier than.
There are at all times makes an attempt to resolve conditions like this privately, however they by no means end in the kind of change crucial to guard additional victims. On the finish of the day my absolute worry is that he’ll have the ability to proceed doing this with none main penalties.
Dixon’s feedback come as Tyler Perry’s thirteenth Madea film, Madea’s Vacation spot Marriage ceremony, is about to launch on Netflix.
Extra On Derek Dixon’s Allegations About Tyler Perry
Derek Dixon first met Tyler Perry in 2019 when the actor was working an occasion at Tyler Perry Studios. Perry and Dixon exchanged numbers that night time after assembly one another. This led to conversations about Dixon’s profession aspirations and Perry ultimately providing him an opportunity to audition for a job on Ruthless.
The primary occasion of Perry’s alleged sexual harassment got here in January 2020 when Dixon spent the night time at his visitor home after an evening of consuming. Dixon claims Perry climbed into mattress with him and began rubbing his thigh, main the actor to get off the bed and say, “I am not that sexual.”
After this occasion, Perry supplied Dixon an opportunity to have his position on Ruthless expanded to a much bigger one on The Oval. Dixon’s character was written to be shot a number of instances on the finish of the season, however Perry stated he would doubtless survive if the actor did an excellent job. Perry additionally supplied to shoot the pilot of a comedy Dixon wrote.
In accordance with Dixon, this “created a false sense of safety” round Perry for the actor. In a while when the 2 had been alone in a trailer someday after filming, Perry allegedly pushed him towards the wall and grabbed his buttocks after asking questions, together with whether or not Derek was drawn to him.
Perry continued to ship Dixon inappropriate texts after this, main the actor to be prescribed antidepressant medicine. The producer then allegedly yelled at Dixon on set and requested if he wanted to be punched within the abdomen to present the best efficiency.
Dixon’s lawsuit alleges that Perry sexually assaulted him once more in June of 2021 after a gathering in regards to the actor’s pilot. After they each acquired drunk, Dixon was informed to sleep within the visitor home once more. Perry allegedly pulled down Dixon’s underwear and grabbed his naked backside throughout a hug after which restrained the actor from pulling his underwear again up.
Dixon tells THR that he believed he was going to be raped and informed Perry “‘No,’ ‘Cease,’ and ‘I don’t need this'” because it was unfolding. The actor says he then informed Perry he was too hungry to do something sexual after which locked himself within the toilet after he and Perry had eaten pizza.
After creating distance between himself and Perry, the producer supplied him a elevate and shot the comedy pilot in March of 2022. However, the actor now claims that Perry’s cope with Viacom didn’t permit the producer to buy the pilot for 2 years. He then moved away, filed the EEOC grievance, and give up working with Perry.
Derek Dixon is searching for at the very least $260 million in his lawsuit towards Tyler Perry for sexual assault and battery
Now, it stays to be seen what is going to come of Derek Dixon’s lawsuit towards Tyler Perry and the way or when will probably be settled. It will doubtless be a prolonged course of, so a decision could not come for a number of months and even years.
Supply: The Hollywood Reporter
- Birthdate
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September 14, 1969
- Birthplace
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New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
