Actor Derek Dixon has filed a lawsuit against Tyler Perry, alleging that Perry repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed him while he worked on the BET series “The Oval”. The lawsuit seeks at least $260 million in damages.
According to the lawsuit, Perry initially promised Dixon career advancement and creative opportunities after hiring him for a role on the show. However, Perry allegedly began sending unwanted sexual text messages and making aggressive advances towards Dixon, eventually leading to physical assaults on multiple occasions.
Dixon claimed that he tried to maintain boundaries while working with Perry but was intimidated into silence by threats to his character’s death on the show. The lawsuit alleges that Perry used his industry power to exploit Dixon and keep him quiet.
Perry’s attorney has denied the allegations, calling them “fabricated” and saying that Dixon is trying to scam Perry out of money. However, the lawsuit includes screenshots of unwanted text messages from Perry and details of several alleged assaults, including one where Perry groped Dixon in a guest room at his home.
Dixon had previously filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but received no action. He eventually quit his role on the show to distance himself from Perry. The Associated Press has not typically named people who claim to have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, and Dixon has done so in this case.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/tyler-perry-lawsuit-derek-dixon-oval-45c6b19ed17e728e67aceb0ab130aa0d