Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry, creator of the hit Madea franchise and numerous BET dramas, has been hit with a staggering $260 million lawsuit filed by actor Derek Dixon, who alleges he was sexually assaulted and harassed while working on Perry’s productions.
Dixon, best known for his role as Dale in Perry’s political drama The Oval, went public with his claims in an ABC News interview on September 9, 2025, describing what he called a coercive and intimidating work environment.
According to Dixon, Perry allegedly pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks during a visit to the filmmaker’s Atlanta residence. He further claimed he lived under “constant stress,” fearing his role would be cut or his career destroyed if he resisted Perry’s advances.
“I was scared I’d lose my job or be killed off the show if I didn’t comply,” Dixon said.
The lawsuit, filed in June 2025, demands $260 million in damages, which Dixon said represents both the financial harm he suffered and a deterrent against abuse by powerful figures in the industry. “Part of that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of a show. The other part is a deterrent — how do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this?” Dixon told ABC.
Dixon also accused Perry of reneging on a promise to produce a television pilot he had written, alleging the filmmaker retained control of the script without honoring the deal.
Despite the personal and professional risks of going public, Dixon said his decision to speak out was about protecting others:
“Never exploit someone’s aspirations to coerce them into a relationship. That’s unprofessional. I’m speaking out to protect future generations of actors and creatives.”
Perry, through his attorney Matthew Boyd, has strongly denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit part of an “elaborate scam.”
“This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be an elaborate scheme. Tyler will not be coerced, and we are confident these unfounded harassment claims will not succeed,” Boyd said in a statement.
Dixon began working with Perry in 2020, later filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January 2024 before his departure from The Oval later that year.
While Dixon is currently the only accuser to come forward publicly, the case has intensified scrutiny over workplace harassment, power dynamics, and accountability in Hollywood.
Perry, one of the most influential Black filmmakers in the U.S. with a media empire spanning film, television, and theater, has denied all wrongdoing. The case is expected to move into pre-trial hearings later this year.
