The person accusing Tyler Perry of sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation in a $260 million lawsuit is talking out for the primary time because the June 13 submitting in Los Angeles Superior Court docket.
Actor Derek Dixon, who appeared in Perry exhibits comparable to “Ruthless” and “The Oval,” instructed the Hollywood Reporter in an e mail that bringing the lawsuit in opposition to the 55-year-old media mogul has been “terrifying.” Nevertheless, he’s talking out as a result of he “couldn’t simply let him get away with it.”
“Everybody deserves to go to work and do their job with out their boss attempting to have intercourse with them,” Dixon mentioned. “My aim is to assist be certain that the subsequent era of actors and creatives don’t have to decide on between their goals and their dignity.”
Dixon, an actor in his late 30s, appeared in 85 episodes of “The Oval” between 2021 and 2025 because the character Dale. In his June 13 submitting, he alleges that all through his skilled relationship with Perry, the author and producer made a number of undesirable sexual advances towards him, together with one during which he claims Perry pushed him in opposition to a wall and groped him. Dixon can also be accusing Perry of partaking in a sample of exploiting male actors.
Matthew Boyd, an lawyer for Perry, has maintained that claims are a part of an try to rip-off Perry.
“That is a person who acquired near Tyler Perry for what now seems to be nothing greater than establishing a rip-off,” Boyd instructed Folks journal. “However Tyler is not going to be shaken down and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Chatting with the Hollywood Reporter, Dixon famous how fears of being written off as a fraud “is why individuals, particularly males, don’t come ahead.”
“I used to be too afraid to return ahead. I knew it might be terrible. And I used to be proper,” he mentioned.
When requested if he tried to settle the matter privately earlier than coming ahead, he famous how there “are all the time” makes an attempt to resolve privately, however “they by no means end in the kind of change vital to guard additional victims.”
He added, “On the finish of the day, my absolute concern is that he’ll be capable to proceed doing this with none main penalties.”
Earlier than submitting, he mentioned he even tried to persuade himself that this “was a part of the trade” or that he needed to settle for it to maintain working.
“However finally, I couldn’t keep silent anymore,” he mentioned.
