Actor Derek Dixon, known for his 85-episode role on Tyler Perry’s BET drama The Oval, has filed a lawsuit accusing the media mogul of sexual assault, harassment, and professional retaliation.
The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, seeks at least $260 million in damages.
Dixon alleges Perry used his industry influence to create a coercive dynamic, initially promising career opportunities before subjecting him to escalating sexual misconduct. According to the lawsuit, Perry first noticed Dixon in 2019 while he worked event staff at a Perry-hosted party and later offered him roles in Ruthless and The Oval. The suit claims Perry then sent unwanted explicit messages, including one asking, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?”
The filing details multiple alleged assaults, including an incident where Perry forcibly removed Dixon’s clothing and groped him. Dixon says he repeatedly refused Perry’s advances but feared professional repercussions, with Perry allegedly threatening to kill off his character if he resisted. After one assault, Perry reportedly apologized and dangled a producing opportunity—a pilot titled Losing It—which Dixon claims was never intended for development but used as leverage.
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, dismissed the allegations as a “scam,” stating, “Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims will fail.” Dixon, who relocated from Atlanta to Los Angeles to distance himself from Perry, filed an EEOC complaint in 2024 before resigning from The Oval.
Perry, 55, is a prolific filmmaker and actor whose empire spans TV, film, and his Atlanta studio. The lawsuit adds to longstanding industry scrutiny over power dynamics in entertainment.
